Set Fire to the Summer
by Tribeca
Summary: A slow, lazy, sultry romp through the summer with Penny and Sheldon. Then things get crazy. *complete*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I hope you guys have as much fun reading this as I did writing it. I always feel like it's never good enough, like it's too fluffy or too cheesy or just too...****_much_****...I'm never satisfied with my fics. Sigh... I don't use a beta, so all mistakes (and I'm sure they are plentiful) are mine. There are 25 chapters and I plan to update every day or two...I just have to proofread and edit each one before I post it. **

**I haven't been on the site in awhile and I see I have several PMs in my box. I apologize for the delay in responding. It's been a crazy summer.**

**Just a bit about this fic: It starts out relatively sweet, then gets a little steamy, then some plain 'ole smut because several of you asked for it. ;P There will also be a twist with a smidgen of violence later, just to forewarn you. Mostly though, it's about how I think Sheldon and Penny would be if they were together: the banter, the teasing, the sexy interactions. This is just them being...****_Shenny_****. **

**To Elle if you are reading: Sorry for the delay and thanks for keeping the faith...enjoy! **

**As always, thanks to everyone for your support. **

**Viva la Shenny!**

**SET FIRE TO THE SUMMER**

_"Don't say a word_

_just come over and lie here with me_

_'cause I'm just about to set fire to everything I see..."_

_~Edge of Desire-John Mayer~_

**CHAPTER 1**

The hot humid air of the day had given way to a cool and breezy night. Penny knew she should crawl out from under her covers and close the window, but she was too warm and she shivered at the thought of her bare feet touching the cold hardwood flooring beneath her. She groaned and glanced over at the clock on the night table next to her bed. It was well past midnight and she felt the slight, dull beginnings of a nagging headache threatening to take hold of her and she knew if she stood, or even moved, it would latch onto her and linger for hours.

She thought momentarily of getting up and going across the hall to check on Sheldon. He'd been a mess earlier, but she reminded herself that if he was finally asleep, the last thing she'd want to do would be to wake him. Besides, if he needed her, she and he both knew he wouldn't hesitate to bellow. She sighed and rolled over. The window...and Sheldon...could wait till morning, she needed her sleep.

Pressing her eyes together, she made an effort to will herself back into a peaceful slumber. Instead of sleeping however, she found that the only activity her brain was interested in was to reflect on the monumental events that had taken place a few hours earlier. She felt her heartbeat increase, a feeling she was growing more accustomed to, along with a slow and easy smile that crept involuntarily across her face.

It had started a few weeks ago when she'd gone across the hall to confess to her whacky neighbor that she loved that he was a part of her life. She was certain, as she pulled her door closed and made her way to his apartment, that no matter what she said to him, he'd never realize the full scope of what she was about to tell him. She had come to accept the fact that the universe, in all it's wisdom, had paired her and Leonard together, and was in the long, agonizing process of pairing Sheldon and Amy as well. It hurt, but it was her reality. It was a fact she knew she'd have to live with for the rest of her life. It was incredibly painful, but she'd made peace with it.

Little did she know that on the other side of his door, Doctor Sheldon Cooper, a man who prided himself on never letting his guard down, never revealing his true feelings, was having a moment of clarity, a solitary moment of truth...a truth so personal that he had no intentions of revealing it to anyone. But she'd barged in as she usually did, unannounced and not bothering to do the decent thing by knocking, and she'd found him surrounded by dominos, sprawled on the floor, in an orgasmic state of bliss, and he'd done the most unexpected thing of all: he'd told her he loved her..._out loud_, for Christ's sake.

They both had been stunned, forced into silence, and she'd ended up nodding at him, and he at her, and she'd quickly closed the door and hastily returned to the sanctuary of her own apartment.

In the days that followed, they'd caught one another in knowing looks and curious sideways glances, but they'd never spoken of what had transpired that evening.

And then there was tonight. Penny and the girls found themselves playing Dungeons and Dragons with the boys. She had been reluctant at first. She was pissed off because Amy had ruined their trip to Vegas. Penny had big plans for that weekend...drink, party, gamble, forget about life for a while...and then Amy had gone and gotten them thrown off the flight before they even boarded and they'd returned home with their tails between their legs, settling in for yet another humdrum night of geeky games, fake smiles, and attempting to drink enough alcohol to dull her pain.

It had worked mostly. Until Amy got her feelings hurt (Penny did feel bad about that and would apologize to her later, it was the damn alcohol...always the alcohol...that got her into trouble). Penny had persuaded Sheldon to go to his bedroom and talk to Amy. In less than an hour, as she and Leonard stood outside Sheldon's bedroom door eavesdropping on their conversation, she realized what a terrible, awful, horrendous mistake she had made. It was irreversible and all she'd wanted to do was get the hell out of there.

Penny turned and rushed out of the apartment, sending a quick, "see ya later, gotta go" over her shoulder towards Leonard and their friends. He trailed behind her, making a futile attempt to catch up. By the time he reached the hallway, her door was closed tightly, and unbeknownst to him, she sobbed silently on the other side. Leonard tried texting her later but to no avail and he'd finally given up and gone to bed.

Penny's tears had produced a swollen face along with green eyes that could barely squint into the mirror over her sink. Her hipbones pressed against the cold porcelain lavatory as she leaned in to get a closer look at herself. With a trembling hand, she twisted her long hair into a knot and secured it with an old rubber band she'd found in the nearest drawer. She jerked the haphazard ponytail tighter than necessary, believing that any pain she inflicted on herself could possibly help alleviate the heavy anguish weighing on her heart.

"Just a couple of weeks ago he told me he loved me," she fumed across her puffed lips, "and now he's about to fuck Amy."

Penny stripped her clothing off, letting the discarded garments fall to the floor, then traipsed naked to her bedroom and fell into the center of the bed, her cheap mattress bouncing about as it absorbed her body. She desperately wanted wine but was positive that in no way could she rely on her legs to carry her to the kitchen. Instead, she pressed her eyelids closed tightly and prayed for sleep, or death, whichever would put her out of her misery, to come and, for God's sake, to come quickly.

**~s/p~**

Sheldon's heart banged heavy in his chest and he wondered if the loud gasps for oxygen that permeated his bedroom were coming from him or from Amy. They were kissing now, well, simultaneously kissing and gasping for air. He hated the thin layer of moisture and drying spittle that coated the area around his mouth and chin and he wished the entire fiasco would conclude soon. It was nearing, or maybe even past, his bedtime and he still needed to shower before retiring for the night.

"Sheldon," Amy breathed out, pulling her mouth from his and reaching to smooth her hand across his cheek. "I've waited so long for this. I could kiss you all night. And more," she added, raising her eyebrows suggestively and pulling his hand towards her chest.

He forced a smile and then glanced down at his fingers that had landed directly on the flat fleshy area between Amy's breasts.

"More? Really Amy, this is much more than I am comfortable with."

Amy pulled back, causing Sheldon's hand to flop awkwardly onto her knee. He quickly removed it, placing his palm firmly against his own leg.

"But you said you'd never thought about being intimate with anyone before me. I took that to mean you were ready...ready to be intimate with me. _Tonight_."

She reached to rest her hand on his thigh, coming dangerously close to his scrotum and he instinctively scooted away from her and dropped both hands to cover himself.

"Yes, I did say that," he replied, though it had been a blatant lie he'd told Amy to ease her hurt feelings from comments their friends had made earlier.

"So did you mean it?" she asked, waiting expectantly, her lips quirked upwards.

"Well, we did need to finish the game," he said sheepishly. "The Dungeon Master ordered our characters to engage in coitus. I'm nothing if not true to gameplay and the rules therein."

Amy shook her head as if to clear it, "So this, us, everything you said, was just part Dungeons and Dragons? It was just a means to successfully complete the game?"

Sheldon noted the tears brimming on the lower rims of his girlfriend's eyes. He shook his head and made a last ditch effort to avoid an argument.

"Well," he stalled, his face twitching and his brain swirling to find a logical escape from this madness. "While I do enjoy completing any game I engage in, I..."

"Spit it out Sheldon," Amy sputtered, the joy now drained from her face.

"Amy," he said, fidgeting with his fingers, "Yes. Yes, I will _consider_ engaging in coitus with you." He stressed the word 'consider' so as not to give her false hope. He didn't have the heart to tell her he had already considered it and had concluded that he was not interested in sexual relations with her. He like her, enjoyed her company, admired her intellect, but he'd accepted long ago that she could never be anything more to him than a friend.

A slight smile crept across her face, "Now?"

His mind raced, seeking an escape route.

Two weeks earlier, he'd told Penny he loved her. One week ago Leonard had told Sheldon he sensed Penny distancing herself from him. Two days ago, he and Penny had sat much too close on the sofa while waiting for Leonard to get back with dinner. They had never discussed his declaration of love for her, not verbally, but the way her hand lingered on his when she handed him the remote, or the way their eyes locked with knowing stares was all the necessary communication needed between the two of them. Their time was near and with each passing day it became more palpable.

"Amy," he said, a last ditch attempt to buy more time, "would you be opposed to waiting here in my room while I bathe? I'd feel much more comfortable with this situation if I could refresh myself with a lukewarm shower."

"And then we can..._do it?_ I mean, we can proceed?" she asked, her grin growing wider, the pink flush returning to her cheeks.

"Perhaps," he answered because he'd never been a skilled liar.

"Very well," she said, scooting off the bed and standing quickly. "I'll prepare myself while you are showering."

"Prepare yourself? I don't understand, Amy."

"Oh, just some stretching and breathing techniques I read about. Hurry up, Sheldon, I can't wait for you to make love to my vagina."

Sheldon quickly exited his room, pulling the door firmly shut behind him. He noted that the lights in the rest of the apartment had been turned off. He wondered if Leonard had gone to Penny's apartment for the night. Glancing to his left and seeing Leonard's bedroom door closed, he released a soft sigh of hope that maybe they weren't together tonight. On the other hand, he reminded himself, she could be in Leonard's room..._Leonard's bed_...right this moment.

Throwing caution to the wind because he had to know where she was, he slowly crept down the hall. He pressed his ear against the door and engaged his Vulcan hearing. After several moments of shameless prying, he found that the only sound coming from behind the door was a slight wheezing from Leonard's overly sensitive sinus passages.

Sheldon turned and half sprinted to the bathroom, speeding up slightly as he passed his own bedroom, in hopes of not alerting Amy that he was not preparing himself for her as she was for him. He slipped into the bathroom and gently closed the door behind himself, taking extra care not to make a sound.

He reached to pat the pockets of his trousers and felt instant relief when his fingers bumped across the outline of his cellphone tucked securely beneath the cotton fabric of his khakis. He slowly slipped the phone out and began scrolling across the screen until he located her name in his text log.

His steady fingers deftly tapped his message and he quickly pushed the send button:

_S: Hello. Would it be correct for me to believe you are in your apartment alone?_

Penny grunted at the chiming of her text alert tone and rolled to her side to look in the direction of the invading sound. Not seeing it on her bedside table she scooted towards the edge of the bed and, dropping the top of her body to the floor, her hands supporting her from below, her hips and legs pressed firmly into the bed, she spotted her phone under one of the stuffed animals she'd thrown off the bed earlier.

"Please don't be Leonard, please don't be Leonard, please don't be Leonard," became her immediate mantra as she stretched to snatch the phone then pushed herself back onto the bed.

"Oh," she sighed, seeing the text was from her boyfriend's roommate. She paused in contemplation, tempted to tell him to go to hell. But she knew this was a meaningful night for him, losing his virginity and all, and he probably needed a friend to talk to. Although, glancing at the clock, she couldn't help but smirk as she noted the short lapse of time that had passed since she'd left his apartment. He apparently had not been able to last very long, and she found herself taking some sort of sick pleasure in that knowledge.

_P: That was fast._

_S: I beg your pardon?_

_P: What do u want Sheldon?_

_S: I need you to confirm your whereabouts please._

_P: Why?_

_S: Penny._

_P: God, I'm in my apartment. In my bedroom. Alone. U?_

_S: Me?_

_P: U having trouble reading there Sheldon?_

_S: I am in my bathroom._

_S: Alone._

_P: And your girlfriend?_

_S: My girlfriend?_

_P: Yeah, u know, Amy, the girl u were about to fuck when I left?_

_S: Your language is crude._

_P: WHERE IS AMY SHELDON?_

_S: In my bedroom. Alone. Waiting for me to make love to her vagina._

_P: God. Well, I better let you get to that then. Why the hell are u texting me?_

_S: I am not comfortable. _

_P: Well, just do it. Everybody is nervous their first time. It will all work out Sheldon. _

_S: But Penny, I don't think I want to do this with Amy._

_P: Sheldon, u don't have to do anything u are uncomfortable with. It's your choice. U don't have to do it tonight, do it later if u need to wait._

_S: Should I, as they say, 'bite the bullet' and just get it over with?_

Penny pushed herself up to a sitting position, flinging her feet around and plunking them onto the floor. '_Good God,' she thought, 'the boy can't even fuck without my help.' _

She winced at the raging headache that had taken hold of her when she had risen to her current upright position. She swiped at the crust that had formed around the corners of her eyes, ugly remnants of the hard cry she'd had just a few minutes earlier. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she sucked in a deep breath and tried her best to be a good friend and give him the best advice she could.

_P: Sheldon, giving yourself to someone is a very special thing. Especially the first time. Don't do it 'just to get it over with.' If u don't want to have sex, then for God's sake, don't have sex._

It seemed to Penny that time stood still as she waited for his reply. She cursed herself, wondering if she was giving him good advice or just making a last ditch effort to put doubt in his mind, to delay the inevitable of Sheldon and Amy consummating their relationship. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, her text alert sounded, bouncing off the walls of her emotionally drained mind.

_S: Penny, please pay attention. I never said I didn't want to have sex. I implied I don't want to have sex with Amy. Does your advice still stand?_

Penny gulped, she reread the text, then stood on shaky legs and began a slow pace around her bedroom. _What the hell? _As usual, her whacky neighbor had thrown her for a loop. She stopped, studied her phone as if it held the answers to all her Sheldon related issues, issues she herself had yet to understand, and then slowly tapped out her next text.

_P: Wait. U might want to have sex. But not with Amy? Sheldon, I don't even know what that means. If u don't want to have sex with Amy, who do u want to have sex with?_

Sheldon had been doing his own share of pacing in his bathroom. Who in a million years would have ever guessed he'd have one girl in his bedroom waiting to have sex with him...and at the same time, one girl...a girl that had managed to elbow her way into his life and taken such a firm grip on his heart...texting him about having sex. He couldn't help but grin at his reflection in the mirror.

"Fifteen year old Sheldon would never believe this," he whispered.

He jerked his hand up upon hearing the text alert and slowly read Penny's reply. He studied it momentarily, wondering just how bold he could dare to be and then nervously began tapping his keyboard.

_S: I suspect, Penny, u and I both may know the answer to that question._

He pressed the send button quickly before his mind had time to override his heart. He hastily held the power button down on his phone and watched as it turned off, his glowing screen flashed to black, hoping the Grammar Gods would forgive him this one indulgence of butchering the English language.

He returned to his room, not surprised to find Amy Farrah Fowler stretched seductively across his bed.

"I'm ready," she grinned up at him.

"Amy, we need to talk," he said slowly, his heart in his throat. Sheldon experienced what he was sure was his first heartbreak as he sat on the edge of his bed and told this woman that he had grown so fond of that they needed to take a break. And just like that, Sheldon Cooper activated Section 2, Paragraph 4, subsection B of their Relationship Agreement.

Ten minutes later, the entire building of 2311 North Los Robles shook with thunder from the slamming door of unit 4A.

Across the hall, Penny read his text for the tenth time. She wasn't sure if she was more stunned by the implications of his text, or that he had used a u for the word 'you.' Both were completely out of character for Doctor Sheldon Cooper, Whack-a-Doodle that he was. With the sudden, but not unexpected banging of her neighbor's slamming door echoing in her ears, her phone slipped from her trembling hand and hit the floor.

She slowly walked to her bathroom and began washing her face, then drug her trembling fingers through her hair, plucking at various loose blonde strands. The swelling in her eyes had dissipated and the tear stains were gone, replaced by a glow she wasn't quite sure she understood. She got dressed and then moved to her sofa, sitting to steady her unstable body. She braced herself and waited, knowing instinctively what would come next.

"Five...four...three...two," she whispered the countdown as she moved towards her door.

Knock-knock-knock.

"Penny."

"And there it is," she sighed, folding her arms across her chest and waiting for him to complete his steadfast routine.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for taking the time to read and leave such sweet reviews. You guys never fail to amaze me with your kindness and support. The Shenny community is alive and well! In the past, I've chosen to delete the ridiculous comments from our resident Shenny-hating "guest" reviewer, but this time around, I decided to let his asshattery be put on full display for all to see. He continues to make an ass of himself. Some things never change, huh? :) Onward!**

CHAPTER 2

When she opened the door, he moved forward, his body so incredibly close, as close as humanly possible without touching. His proximity caused her to step backwards and with each back step she made, he stepped forward until he was finally inside her apartment and able to push the door shut.

"Sheldon, what the..." her voice trailed off upon noting his frenzied appearance.

"I apologize for my demeanor," he said, his breath ragged as he spoke.

"What was that text about Sheldon?" she asked, her voice soft with concern.

"Can you honestly tell me you don't know, Penny?"

"What do you want, Sheldon?"

Penny lifted a hand to his freckled neck, as if to offer comfort, sighing quietly and admitting to herself that she'd never quite been able to get past wanting to explore its impossible length with her mouth.

"Some nights, Penny, I can't achieve REM sleep...because of you. And, for the record, that is y-o-u. I hope you can forgive my earlier improper spelling blunder. I got carried away."

Penny smiled. _This, this right here, was why she'd never been able to let go of him._

"Sheldon."

"All these years I've managed to maintain a level of acceptable behavior."

"What do you want, Sheldon?" she asked him again because even now, with his well-guarded vulnerability on display, she was unsure. It was a fact that Sheldon Cooper always kept her guessing, never knowing for certain what was going on in that big brain of his.

He shifted his weight, then reached to brush a wisp of hair from her cheek.

"Your hair smells good. Thank you for switching back to the shampoo I like."

She slowly lifted her hand, resting her arm on his shoulder, curling her wrist slightly until she was able to drag her fingers though the hair on the back of his head.

Confusion spread across his face and she smiled up at him.

"I've always wanted to do this," she whispered.

"I've always _wanted_ you to do that," he confessed.

She laughed softly, "So that's it? That's what you want? Me to massage your scalp?"

"It's not all that I want, but it is a start."

"Sheldon, you need to explain that text to me."

He blushed and looked away, "Again, I must offer my apologies. I don't know what came over me. My mother raised me better than that, you know. I'm not an ogre."

"I do know that. Don't be embarrassed, okay? I just need you to talk to me, to be honest."

He sighed, "I feel I must expound on my hastily written text."

She forced a laugh, "So you want to take it back? Okay, I'll forget you ever said it...uh, I mean texted it...whatever."

"I don't want you to forget, and I don't regret it. I just want you to know that as daring as it was for me to share that with you, I don't mean I want to...to do _that_. What I meant was, if I ever feel I am ready to pursue that _type_ of relation with a female, it is_ you_ who would be my first choice, as I find myself most comfortable with you in any number of situations. However, as you are presently involved with my friend and roommate, my desires are of little consequence."

She had resumed lightly stroking her fingers through his hair.

"I see," she said, dropping her hands to her side and her gaze to the floor.

He cleared his throat, "Although, your relationship with Leonard does not preclude me from feeling the way I do."

"Sheldon," Penny said, shaking her head and resisting the temptation to get lost in a very intimate and incredibly inappropriate situation with her boyfriend's roommate. "What happened with you and Amy?"

"Please don't stop," he said, reaching for her hand.

Penny realized she and Sheldon were standing at the threshold of a crucial moment in their relationship. She supposed she had known they would end up in this place someday, but never thought it would be this soon...that it would be _this_ night.

"Sheldon, when I left your apartment a few minutes ago, you and Amy seemed to be, well, getting hot and heavy."

"And is that why you left?" he questioned, "Alone? Without Leonard? Did it bother you that you believed Amy and I were getting, to use your vernacular, 'hot and heavy?'"

She cleared her throat and lied, "No, I just had a headache and wanted to come home. Alone."

"You're lying," he challenged, as he began backing her towards the kitchen, stopping only when her back reached the granite covered island.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking at you, waiting for you to be honest."

Penny lifted her hands to his face, burying her gaze deep in his eyes.

"God help me, you're such a beautiful man."

He smiled shyly at her.

"I believe it is proper protocol for the man to tell the woman that _she_ is beautiful."

"Well, I've never been a big fan of protocol," she laughed.

"So I've noticed," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper.

Time silently ticked past, Penny and Sheldon locked eye to eye.

She cleared her throat, "I'll ask again. What is it you want, Sheldon?"

"Six years later, Penny, and I still want the same thing I've wanted since the first day I met you. My feelings for you have never deviated."

Penny sucked in a deep breath, "What about Amy, Sheldon? I heard what you said to her. What she said..."

"You are aware of my insistence on staying compliant with all gameplay. Dungeons and Dragons is no exception. It was just a game Penny," he said as if that settled the matter.

"But..."

"But Amy read far more into my words than was meant. And it appears you did as well."

"And?"

"And I explained it to her and then escorted her to the door. When I discovered you had come home alone, I was sure you also had gotten the wrong impression of what took place between Amy and myself."

"You never answered my question. What do you want, Sheldon?"

He stepped away from her, freeing her to move, dropping his arms to his sides.

"I don't...I can't say, Penny...I just know that I feel different when you and I spend time together. I like being with you. I've noted through the years that no one, not even Amy, evokes the same emotional...and physical, I'm embarrassed to admit...responses within me that your presence does."

"What else?" she asked in a hushed tone, finding herself aroused by his odd combination of inexperience and forwardness.

"I want lots of things...I think I want many things...with you. I'm just not able to elaborate at the moment. As I am sure you are aware, this is very difficult for me...uncharted territory, as it were."

"I just never thought you would...you could...consider me..."

"Since that first day...I've been thinking, could it be that we've been wasting time? That all along it should have been _us_?"

"Sheldon, two weeks ago you told me you love me. You were laying in your floor doing God knows what...though it looked like you'd just...uh, yeah...so I need to know if you meant it."

"What purpose would it serve to say something I don't mean?"

She stepped to the side, then moved to create a bit of much needed distance between them. She sucked in a deep breath before speaking.

"Wow Sheldon, when you decide to turn your world..._our world_...upside down, you really go for it."

He gave her an uncertain shrug.

"You know we need to take this slow, Sheldon. I don't want to get so caught up in something that we burn out before we ever get started. And God, there's Leonard and Amy to consider. I don't even know where to begin."

"But, you do wish to begin? You wish to explore the possibilities? The chance that perhaps it should have been you and me all along?"

When she didn't speak and instead just nodded he said, "I can make that happen, you know."

Penny sighed, "God, don't tempt me Sheldon."

"I'm not tempting you, Penny. I'm promising you."

"Promising me what exactly?"

"I am promising you a summer. A summer that is composed of only the two of us. Could we do that? Before either of us reaches the proverbial point of no return with Amy or Leonard, I think it would be wise for the two of us to spend more time together. Can we please do that?"

"Yes. Most definitely, yes," she breathed out, "We need to know."

"Very well. I will arrange for Leonard to be away for the summer. I have already evoked the section in my Relationship Agreement with Amy that stipulates either party may take a break from the other when and if desired. I have informed her that I so desire."

"Wait. You can get rid of Leonard for the summer?"

"I can do many things, Penny."

"So...we can have the entire summer to ourselves? Just you and me? No interruptions?"

"I'll even prohibit Wolowitz and Koothrappali from visiting if you like."

She put her hands on her hips and studied him. He, with his twitching face and fidgeting fingers and horrible posture...he, a man who was brilliant in so many ways and yet so lost, so completely unaware of the world around him, he, whom she'd never been able to push out of her thoughts.

"Sheldon, we'd have to go very slow. You're so inexperienced, and this is too important...to both of us...it has to mean something."

"Penny," he sighed, cramming his hands deep in his pockets, "it will mean the world."

"So tell me, if at the end of the summer we realize that this was just a crazy feeling we had, that there is nothing between us other than friendship, then what?"

He studied her face and she would have sworn his eyes darted quickly over her entire body, "Well then, we return to status quo, Penny."

"I love the way you think, Doctor Cooper."

Sheldon smiled at her, "It's what I do."

"Hmmm, let's give this thing a shot," she said, grabbing the collars of his shirts and yanking his face level with hers.

"We're going to drive each other crazy, aren't we?" he said, his face breaking into a lopsided grin.

"Crazi_er_," she corrected him.

"Yeah," he inhaled sharply. "This is going to be _great_."

**~s/p~**

They'd gone together to see Leonard off at the airport. It had bothered Sheldon to watch them kiss goodbye. He noted the sadness in both their eyes. He couldn't help but wonder if it was caused by the fact that they were going to be separated for the entire summer or because they both knew, somewhere deep inside, that this wasn't just goodbye for now, but maybe it was their goodbye _forever_.

The night before, Penny had told Leonard they needed to take a break from their relationship while he was away. She told him that she knew he'd be confined on a ship for almost four months and working in close quarters with others, one (or more) of whom he might find himself attracted. She pled her case, stating that while they were still single, and this was a chance of a lifetime for him, he should have complete freedom to do as he pleased without feelings of betrayal or guilt.

Leonard had argued with her at first, but by the end of the night, he'd confessed that while it hurt to think of them as free to see other people, she did have a valid point. He had asked her if she planned to date and she'd cast a bit of fear in him when she'd replied, "Let's both just enjoy the summer, okay?" She didn't want to lie to him, but she certainly wasn't going to let him know she and Sheldon were planning to spend more time together while he was away. Besides, she knew Leonard. She knew him well. She had absolutely no doubt that somewhere deep inside he was doing an internal happy dance because she had given him the greatest gift in the world: freedom.

**~s/p~**

"Sorry 'bout that," Penny said, pulling into traffic and heading away from the airport.

"It was necessary I suppose."

"Just trying to keep the peace," she smiled and patted him gently on his hand that rested high on his protruding knee.

Sheldon surprised her by taking hold of her hand and giving it a slight squeeze.

"Oh," she said softly, and then laughed, "let the games begin."

"Oh Penny. This is no game. Not at all. Unlike Dungeons and Dragons, this is very real. Very real indeed."

Thus began the long, hot summer of Sheldon and Penny.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: You guys are the best...thanks for your sweetness! If I could, I'd invite you all over to my house and we'd gather in the kitchen for tea and snickerdoodles (ha!) and have long, heated discussions of our love for Shenny.**

**I'm posting Chapter 3 AND Chapter 4 in this update. Mostly because they are smushy, gushy, squishy Shenny scenes and I just wanted to keep them together. Yeah, I'm a dork, surely you've figured that out by now! ;)**

CHAPTER 3

"Are you ready?" he asked when she pulled the door open.

"Got my jar right here," she grinned and held it up to show him. "And a flashlight too, just in case we need it."

"I brought a blanket," he responded shyly, holding it up for her to see.

"Good! Then we are all set!"

"Wait, did you poke holes in the lid?"

"I did."

"Very well," he said, offering his arm to her, "Shall we go?"

She laughed, "We shall."

He rolled his eyes, waiting for her to lock up, then sighed with contentment when she looped her arm though his.

Penny had laughed when Sheldon asked about her most cherished childhood memories when they were on the way back from dropping Leonard at the airport. She'd only taken a moment to confess that her favorite times when she was a kid during the hot Nebraska nights was catching fireflies with her brother and sister because looking back as an adult, she could see the sweet simplicity of that innocent time. She'd never imagined he was attempting to plan their first date but now here they were on a warm, humid Pasadena night with an empty jar just begging to be home for a few minutes to the glowing insects.

They spread the blanket together, noting that Pasadena City Park had never looked lovelier. He'd not been in the park at dusk and he was disappointed by the large number of local residents that congregated there. He had hoped he and Penny would be alone, and had expressed his disappointment upon arrival, but Penny had waved at some friends she'd seen in the distance, then pulled him further from the crowd, choosing the perfect secluded spot under a large oak tree.

She lowered herself to the center of the spread and beckoned him to join her. By the time he'd settled in beside her, she'd removed her shoes and stretched out on her back, the few remaining rays of the sun softly brushing pink and purple strokes across her face. He sucked in a deep breath, getting lost in her beauty, and feigned fascination with the mason jar she'd brought.

"Hey," she said, tugging at the sleeve of his shirt, "Lay down next to me. Look, the stars are starting to come out and over there is the moon."

He studied her, hesitating until he felt her pull at his sleeve again, and then sunk deeper into the ground, stretching his long, lean body out beside hers. He glanced over, about to offer up a complaint of some kind, but she winked at him and he forgot every negative thing in his brain.

"Yes, it's remarkable," he said, his face pointed skyward, but his eyes darting to her now silhouetted shape.

He laced his fingers together and slipped them behind his head, noting she'd done the same with her hands. A quite sense of peacefulness fell over them and he didn't even mind when he felt her leg brush against his.

"I used to do this when I was a kid," she said in a reverent tone, as if she were confiding the secrets of the universe to him. "My dad would pick a big watermelon from the garden early in the day. He'd put it on the porch and we all knew that meant he and mom would cut it up for dessert later that night. My sister and I had this big ugly old comforter we'd drag out of the hall closet and just as the sun was going down we'd spread it out at the end of our driveway. Then when daddy whistled for us, she and I and our brother would run over and get these big, juicy hunks of melon and take it to our blanket. We'd eat till we were about to puke, then we'd start spitting the watermelon seeds at each other till we got tired. Then we'd lay on our backs and look up at the stars and talk about what were gonna do when we grew up."

"Ah, my siblings and I were performing the same ritual in East Texas."

She nudged him with her elbow, "Yeah, we were two all American kids, huh?"

He chewed at his bottom lip, "A rite of passage in every childhood, I suppose."

"I caught my first firefly in that driveway," she said, her summer memories now flooding back.

"Ah, I see. So this will not be your first experience with nocturnal members of the family Lampyridae."

"Lampy what?"

"Lampyridae. That's the name of the particular luminescent branch of beetles in which fireflies are members."

"See, that's what I love about hanging out with you Sheldon. I learn something new every time."

"And is that acceptable?" he asked, worried she may dislike his natural instinct of showcasing his knowledge.

She rolled to her side to face him, propping with her elbow, "It's very acceptable, Doctor Cooper. So far, I'm loving our first date."

He felt a wave of panic rush through his body and he was glad it was almost completely dark now so that she couldn't see him blush.

"Oh. Our date."

She bent and dropped a kiss on his cheek, "Yep, our date. Now let's catch some fireflies."

She grabbed the jar and was off in the darkness before he stumbled to his feet.

"Penny?" he called out to her and was relieved when he got a quick response.

"Over here, I see some!"

He followed the sound of her voice, stopping when he reached her, watching with an unexpected grin as she snatched at the nearest lightening bug, catching it on her first attempt. He caught one just as she was dropping hers into the jar. She held her hand across the opening until he scooted closer and dropped his in next to hers.

Peering into the jar, their heads pressed together, she released a girlish squeal and said, "Oh look, they like each other! We have to name them."

He pulled back, squinting to see her better, "Name them? Penny, they are insects."

"So? They still deserve a name while we have them."

"Oh. Well, how about Spock and Kirk? Those are nice names."

She giggled, "No! Those are boys. What we have here is a boy and a girl. I vote for Brad and Angelina."

"Of course you do," he said with amusement. "I suppose I get no say in the matter?"

She twisted the lid onto the jar and shoved it towards him, "You get a say. What would you like to name them?"

"Well, how about Albert and Marie?" he suggested, holding the jar in the air and watching as the two bugs twinkled against the night sky.

"Albert and Marie who?" she asked. "Are you just making those up?"

"Einstein and Curie. They are two very significant scientists that made great contributions."

"Oh," she huffed playfully, "well excuse me. Brad and Angelina made great contributions to Hollywood."

"Or we could go with Snooki and Vinny. It is my understanding they made great contributions to the shore of New Jersey."

Penny grinned, "Hey, I got it. Let's just call them Penny and Sheldon."

"I like it," he said, looking down at her.

"Great! Now let's get back to our blanket before somebody steals it."

They placed the jar in the center of the blanket, then sat Indian style across from each other and talked into the night, mostly of their Texas and Nebraska upbringings. They spoke of running though water sprinklers on their front lawns, sticky melting ice cream dripping down their arms all the way to their elbows, and running barefoot through freshly mowed grass.

"It's getting late. We need to release our fireflies before we leave," he said as they both got to their feet.

They watched as the fireflies flitted their way out of the open jar and flew off into the night, glowing as they distanced themselves from their captivity.

"Do you know why they glow?" he asked.

"No, but I'm sure you do," she grinned up at him.

"Well, firefly light is usually intermittent and flashes in patterns that are unique to each species. Each blinking pattern is an optical signal that helps fireflies discover potential mates."

"Oh," she swooned, "that sounds so _romantic_...you know, in a buggy sort of way."

"Ah, yes, you women do enjoy romance, do you not?" he teased her.

"We do."

"Very well," he said, reaching for the flashlight she'd left on the blanket.

He flicked the toggle switch to the on position, then off, then on again, blinking it in her direction.

She laughed, "Hey, watcha doing?"

He sucked in a deep breath, "Well, I suppose it is my human way of emitting a blinking pattern, an optical signal, to assist you in case, like those fireflies, you are interested."

She chewed at her bottom lip, "Interest in what?"

"Um," he dropped the flashlight to the ground and toed the grass with his shoe, "possibly interested in discovering a potential mate."

He was positive he'd just uttered the most trite words of his life. But she reached to poke him in his side and said softly, "I'm interested. I'm definitely interested."

The drive back to their apartments was comfortably quite and she thanked him when he walked her to her door.

"Next time I'll bring watermelon," he promised her, handing her the jar and flashlight.

"Cool! And I promise not to spit my seeds at you," she laughed.

"This was nice," he said to her, wishing he had the courage to do or say more.

He had no way of knowing that Penny was content just standing there in the hallway next to him. It was a start and it felt so incredibly _right_ to her.

"It was the perfect summer evening, Sheldon."

"Goodnight Penny," he said, moving back and waiting for her to go inside.

"Goodnight," she said, stepping into her apartment. Just before she closed the door, she called his name and when she was sure he had his attention, she flicked the flashlight on and off and on again, blinking it in his direction. "Right back at ya, Moon Pie."

He shook his head and gave her a knowing smile before escaping into his own apartment. It had been an excellent first date.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Sheldon sat alone in the restaurant at his usual table. He watched her, fascinated by her ease of interacting with each patron. She simultaneously took their orders and engaged in cheerful banter. Her laugh was infectious and it occurred to him that she wasn't just serving food, she was also supplying these people with much needed human contact. Many of them were alone, haggard appearances brought on by a long day of work, doing battle with day to day annoyances, just trying to bring their day to a satisfying end. These were her local customers, the regular crowd that came in an hour or so before the tourists and passerbys began to filter into the landmark Cheesecake Factory.

"Hey Sweetie," she smiled at him while settling his lemonade on the table.

"Hello Penny," he returned her smile, his eyes softening when she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Whew! Sorry you had to wait, big crowd in here tonight."

"I see. They all appear very appreciative of your dedication."

She winced, bracing for what was sure to be biting commentary concerning her career path. She was pleasantly surprised when none came.

"What? No sharp digs at me and my low-level job?"

He sighed and blew out a deep breath, "No. Being here alone without the constant banal chatter of my usual dinner companions has allowed me to view you differently. I am fascinated with the care and kindness you exhibit, even though I am quite aware that you are tired, your feet are sure to be sore by now, and you have problems of your own you must solve. Yet you manage to put all of that aside and show professionalism and politeness with each of your customers. I am impressed and feel I owe you an apology for my past judgement and harsh criticism."

She laughed and reached to press the palm of her hand against his forehead, "You feeling okay? What have you done with the Sheldon I've known and loved all these years?"

"Perhaps I'm seeing things in a new light."

She winked at him, then waved to a customer across the room, "Well, for what it's worth, I really like it. Thanks Sheldon, it makes me feel good to know you don't think I'm a total loser."

He smiled at her, the words he wanted to say caught in his throat, so he just nodded and watched as she moved on to the next table.

She was surprised to find him waiting for her when she stepped out of the restaurant.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged, "Waiting for you."

"Why?"

"I don't know," he said softly.

She smiled at him, gave his arm a quick squeeze and said, "Well, it doesn't really matter why, does it? I'm just glad you are here, it's a nice surprise. Let's go home."

They stood in the hallway between her apartment and his, lost in light conversation and easy laughs. He knew she was tired and he should tell her goodnight, but he wanted nothing more than to follow her into her apartment and sit next to her on the sofa.

"I should go," he finally relented, making a mental notation of the hour, aware that his bedtime was fast approaching.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted and I have to get up early for an audition in the morning. Is Raj picking you up or do you need a ride?"

"Rajesh will be stopping by for me. I will be commuting with him the remainder of the week."

"Okay. Well, this was great. Thank you for seeing me home. I feel like I'm in an old movie or something."

"I don't understand."

"You," she tapped a finger against his chest, "you are such a gentleman. There's not many guys that'll hang out and wait for a girl to get off work just to see that she gets home safely.

He shrugged, "Is that no longer considered acceptable behavior in our society?"

"Oh Sweetie, it is very acceptable, just rare. You have no idea how special you made me feel."

"I should hope that I always make you feel special, Penny."

Penny grinned up at him and playfully swooned, "Oh, Moon Pie."

He rolled his eyes but refrained from addressing her use of his MeeMaw's term of endearment for him.

"Penny, before we say goodnight, might I ask your dinner plans for Thursday evening?"

She laughed, "Are you hinting at a second date?"

"I might be," he said, locking his hands behind his back and rocking on his heels. "It is Anything Can Happen Thursday you know."

"I have no dinner plans for Thursday, Sheldon."

"Would you be interested in joining me for dinner then, say around 7 o'clock?"

"That sounds great. Should I get dressed up or will we just be ordering in?"

He shook his head, wishing he had the nerve to tell her that she looked stunning to him no matter her clothing selection.

"Whatever you're comfortable in."

"Watch it there, Sheldon or I might just show up in sweats and a t-shirt. That's pretty comfortable."

"Penny," he sighed, "you will be lovely no matter your chosen attire."

She reached to pat his upper arm, resisting the urge to drag him into her apartment.

"Thanks for tonight, Sheldon. I'll see you at seven Thursday night, okay?"

"Very well," he said, dropping his gaze to her hand that rested near his shoulder.

Noting his discomfort at her touch, she quickly pulled her hand away and turned to open her door.

"Night, Sheldon."

"Goodnight Penny."

**~s/p~**

"Dude, you are going to get in way over your head."

"Raj, I didn't ask for an analysis of my relationship with Penny. I asked for your discretion and instruction. I trust I can count on you for both."

"Well," Raj said as he wove in and out of traffic, making his way to CalTech, "I will give you both if you'll just answer one question for me."

"Certainly. What is your question?"

"Do Leonard and Amy know?" He paused and then added quickly, "And how long has this been going on?"

"The answer to your first question is no. And I will not answer your second query because we agreed to one question only. Now, can I depend on you for assistance?"

"Sure...but let me just say for the record, this can't end well, Dude. Not well at all."

"And to what do you base that on? It could end very well. I sense that Penny may be as attracted to me as I am to her. We get along well, much better without the interference of outside sources surrounding us, as has been the case for years. We are discovering that when it is just the two of us it's remarkable. _We_ are remarkable."

"Yeah, you mean when Leonard isn't around hoarding Penny's time and attention."

"Yes, I have concluded that had he not been so insistent on pushing a romantic relationship with Penny, if we could have just let things play out naturally, Penny and I may have gravitated to one another much sooner. Thereby eliminating this ridiculous dalliance with Leonard she has partaken of."

"And don't forget _your_ dalliance with Amy."

"Yes, I have you and Wolowitz to thank for that unfortunate turn of events. Had you left well enough alone and not conducted an internet search for my 'perfect mate' that would be one less obstacle Penny I have to face in our pursuit to..."

"To what?"

He sighed and pushed back in the seat, "I don't know what. To explore a possible romantic relationship."

"You aren't in love with her are you?"

Sheldon turned and watched the passing scenery, leaning his head against the window, "Just shut up and drive, Raj."

"Got it," Raj said quietly, "I'll be at your place around five o'clock to help you get ready for Thursday night."

**~s/p~**

Penny gasped when Sheldon pushed the door to the roof open. A cabana, layered with flowing panels of sheer white fabric, stood erect, outlined with tiny, twinkling white lights. A small table, just large enough to accommodate two thickly padded wicker chairs, rested beneath the covered space. A scented candle, she thought it lilac but was too overwhelmed to be sure, rested in a large jar in the center of the table, it's flame dancing wildly in the summer breeze. Other candles, accented between large seashells and dried starfish, flickered in the night, scattered randomly around the area. Instrumental jazz music, dominated by seductive saxophones, drifted softly in the background, resonating from small speakers perched on the ledge of the roof.

"Sheldon," she whispered, "what is this?"

Placing his hand along the small of her back, he guided her towards the cabana.

"This, Penny, is our second date."

She was glad she'd chosen a simple, yet tasteful black dress. She'd paired it with strappy silver heels that elevated her to, in her opinion, just the right height to have the best view of his eyes. Sheldon, on Raj's encouragement, wore black trousers and a white button down shirt. Raj had insisted he wear a tie, after all they were going to a lot of trouble just to have dinner on the roof. Sheldon had finally given in, but in the moments before he had gone to retrieve Penny, his nervousness had gotten the best of him and now he wore the silk black tie loosely around his neck, the top button of his shirt undone. He had to breathe after all, he'd reasoned with himself.

"It's beautiful," she sighed, looking up at him expectantly.

"It's for you," he informed her as he pulled a chair back for her to be seated. "I've watched you serve others at The Cheesecake Factory for so long. Tonight, I want you to be served."

"Sheldon, this is too much. How did you..."

"I had a little help from a friend."

"Who?"

Before Sheldon could speak, she heard the door to the roof squeak open.

"Raj?"

Raj approached them, his grin stretched across his face from one ear to the other.

"Of course it's me. You think this guy could do all this by himself?" he laughed, gesturing wilding towards the scenery.

"You are certainly in your element, Raj," she smiled at him, then moved to give him an appreciative hug.

"Well, you know what they say, there's no party like a Koothraparty!"

Raj laughed at his own joke, Penny joined in and Sheldon rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Koothraparty, very humorous Raj. Now can you please stick to the plan?"

"Yes sir," Raj barked, giving a jerky salute towards Sheldon, then turning to wink at Penny.

"Very well," Sheldon sighed and nodded at his friend.

"Dude, you so owe me," Raj mumbled as he stepped towards another table he'd set up a few feet away that held food and drink.

Penny and Sheldon settled into their chairs and sipped on the strawberry-lemonade Raj had delivered to the table.

"Why'd you do all this Sheldon? This is so over the top."

He shook his head, "Is it too much? I told Raj it was too much but he's so..._extravagant_. I apologize if my attempt to impress you has exceeded the norms of proper social structure."

She laughed, "Sheldon, first, you've done a beautiful and sweet thing here, don't ever apologize for doing something so nice. And second, you've been impressing me for years without even trying."

Sheldon tugged at the collar of his shirt, "Well," he leaned in and lowered his voice, "it is a bit much for cheeseburgers."

"Cheeseburgers?"

"Yes," Raj said, walking towards them with plates filled to the brim with food. "Sheldon _Trump _here spared no expense except when it came to the menu. I recommended lobster and steak but he refused to budge. So cheeseburgers it is. I call it, brace yourself, _Cheeseburgers in Paradise_." Raj howled with laugher, "Get it? Cheeseburgers in Paradise? Jimmy Buffett?"

Penny giggled, "Yeah, I get it. I love it, Raj."

Sheldon cleared his throat, "While he's made that 'joke' several times now, I still don't get it. Who is this Buffett fellow? What contributions, if any, has he made to the scientific community?"

Raj shook his head and looked at Penny, "I'm leaving this one to you. He's hopeless. I'll be back later with your dessert. Oh, and I tried for Kahlua Chocolate Mousse but he is so hard-headed...I couldn't change his mind, so you are stuck with his choice of dessert."

She smiled at him, then reached across the table and gently placed her hand over Sheldon's, "I'm sure whatever he picked out will be perfect."

Finishing the last bite of his cheeseburger, Sheldon pushed back from the table, stretching his legs and crossing them at the ankles.

"So, how would you classify our second date Penny?"

"Oh, I don't know, Sheldon," she said slowly, playfully waving her napkin at him, "it's not over yet. I'll let you know."

He nodded in Raj's direction, "I think you'll be pleased with your dessert."

Before she could respond, Raj approached with an oval shaped platter, its contents concealed beneath a deep silver lid. He placed it in the center of the table and then cleared their used plates and utensils. Penny laughed when Raj finally removed the lid, revealing the 'surprise' dessert.

"Watermelon!" she squealed, pumping her fist in the air.

Sheldon smiled, finding himself extremely satisfied with her response, "It may not be from your father's garden, but it's fresh from Whole Foods."

"Thank you Sheldon! I couldn't ask for more, I love it!"

"Remember, you promised not to spit your seeds at me," he said, stabbing his fork into a slice of juicy pink mellon, then dropping it onto an empty plate and shoving it towards her.

"Aw, too bad," she teased him.

After he'd cleared the rooftop of the remaining food, Raj motioned for Sheldon.

"Okay, everything is cleaned and put away in your kitchen. Do you want me to hang out for awhile until you guys finish up here so I can help you take the cabana and other stuff down?"

Sheldon glanced over at Penny, then up at the night sky. It was all too perfect, she was too perfect, and he wished nothing more than for the night to last forever.

"No thank you Rajesh, I will take it from here. I'll see you in the morning."

Raj turned to walk away and he was surprised by Sheldon's large hand coming down on his shoulder. He turned back to his friend.

"Raj, while I may not have the social skills to express my gratitude adequately, I want you to know how much this means to me. Thank you so much for all that you did here tonight to make this evening special for Penny and me."

"Sheldon, this is what friends do for each other. You and Penny are both my friends and I'm glad I could help. I'm pleased that you felt close enough to confide in me and to seek out my assistance. I only wish the best for you guys. Just tread lightly, my friend. You guys are playing with fire."

"I don't understand."

"Sheldon," Raj said, pulling him further from Penny, "I know Leonard and Penny broke up before he left for his trip, but you know how he feels about her. And we all know how Amy feels about you. It's just...I don't know man, a storm waiting to happen."

"So you are saying Penny and I should just shove our feelings deep inside and pretend they don't exist?"

"Quite the contrary, dude. I'm saying follow your heart. I've watched you and Penny dance around your feelings for each other for six long years now. It's time you stepped up to the plate. I support you."

"Well, Raj, I can't ask for more than that, can I?"

Raj pulled Sheldon into a quick hug and whispered in his ear, "She's waiting for you. She's waited long enough. Go."

**~s/p~**

Sheldon coughed and took another long drink of Raj's special strawberry lemonade. He watched Penny closely, mesmerized by everything about her. She was leaning back now, her head pressed against the back of the chair, eyes closed, body swaying gently to the music.

"Would you care to dance?" he asked, his words cracking with uncertainty.

Opening her eyes, she smiled at him across the table, "I don't know, Sheldon. It is only our second date."

"Very well," he said stiffly, wondering in what date sequence it would be considered appropriate to ask a lady to dance. He made a mental note to Google it later.

She laughed and stood up, walking over to him, reaching for his hands to pull him to his feet, "Come on Moon Pie, I was just kidding. I'd love to dance with you. I thought you'd never ask."

He smiled down at her, "You tease."

"I try," she sighed as she felt his arms go around her waist. She lifted her arms to his shoulders and wrapped them loosely around his neck.

"I'm not much of a dancer," he confessed, "I'm more of a swayer, I suppose."

She sighed softly, moving closer to rest her head against his chest, "That's good. Swaying is much sexier anyway."

He tightened his grip on her, "I must confess to you that I don't know sexy."

She lightly stroked the back of his neck, her fingers gently sweeping through his soft hair.

"Oh yes you do," she whispered, "Believe me, you do."

"I'm afraid I would disappoint you if I were called upon to display 'sexy' for you."

"Um, Sheldon," she said slowly, enjoying the feel of their bodies pressed together, "you're displaying sexy right this minute."

Taking in a sharp breath, he pulled back, lifting a hand to cup her chin, forcing eye contact.

"In what way?"

"Just, um, this...us...you and me. Right here, right now. Being together like this. _Sexy_."

He felt her eyes on his lips, certain she was anticipating a kiss from him. He watched as her tongue darted out and licked at her bottom lip, waiting for him to make a move.

He'd never kissed anyone before. Not a real kiss. He'd kissed his female family members. And both Leonard's mom and Amy had pulled him into hard, unexpected and unwanted kisses. But none of those had meant a thing to him. Tonight, standing on this rooftop with Penny, her in his arms, music playing, candles burning, all he wanted to do was kiss her.

"I," he mumbled, involuntarily lowering his mouth to hers, "I," he tired again, getting lost in the sensation of his lips brushing across hers, "I don't know how..."

He felt her lips moving against his, "You're doing fine," she whispered, her mouth lightly touching his.

He felt his inhibitions fall away as he pressed his body closer to hers, their mouths now moving in unison, his tongue working of it's own volition, pushing past her lips, instinctively and silently pleading for entrance. She tasted of watermelon and strawberries and lemons. She parted her lips, granting him access, and he heard himself breathing deeply through his nostrils, felt her skin under his fingertips, and was acutely aware of his arousal, his very obvious arousal, as he took her in, probing her with his tongue. He felt her inside his mouth, surprised to discover that he not only liked it, but he wanted more.

When Penny realized the position they were in, her body longing to grind against his, her chest pressed hard into his, his mouth leaving hers and working its way down her neck, she pulled back, gasping for air, realizing things were quickly getting out of hand.

"Slow down there, Cowboy," she breathed out, pressing her hand against his face and pushing him back. "Sheldon, we need to stop."

His brain finally began catching up with his body. He reluctantly released her. Taking a step back, he dropped his hands in front of his embarrassing arousal and began apologizing profusely.

"And you said you don't know sexy," she laughed.

"I apologize, Penny. I don't know what came over me."

"Don't apologize, Sheldon. I liked it. Did you?"

He blushed, "Yes."

"Then if I liked it and you liked it, there is no need to apologize, is there?"

"You must not have liked it too much. You stopped it."

"Look at me," she planted a hand on each cheek and forced his eyes to hers. "I stopped it because we agreed to take this slow. There has to be more between us than sex. I've made that mistake too many times before. You and me? We're not a mistake, we are special. We've waited so long...I think we've both wanted..._this_...for so long. I just don't want it to happen like this, on the roof, even as romantic as you have made it. It will be your first time and we need to go slow, take our time, be comfortable. Be prepared."

"I agree with everything you said. I just...I don't know what came over me."

She grinned at him, then kissed him slowly on his mouth, "Desire, passion, want, need...all of it, Sheldon. It's normal. It's what you feel about me...and what I feel about you. I want you, and we'll get there, I swear."

"You want me?"

"More than I can say."

"I want you too," he pulled her close again, whispering in her ear.

"I can tell," she laughed, gently brushing her hand across the evidence of his desire, "Boy, can I tell."

"Penny!" he wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand away from his most private area.

"Oh, you don't like it when I do that?" she challenged him.

He sighed, "I do like it."

"Me too," she whispered, her lips brushing against his ear, "I can't wait to touch you more."

He swallowed hard, pressing his eyes shut tightly, "I think we need to..."

She stepped back and looked around, then glanced down at her watch, "Yeah, clean up...we need to clean up."

"Yes...Cheeseburger in Paradise Night is over. It was..."

"Paradise," she sighed, kissing him one last time, "It was simply _paradise_."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I love you guys and I'm glad none of you overdosed on the sticky sweet of the last two chapters. This one's not much better...I think we've clearly established that like many of you, I enjoy my Shenny sweet and happy and dripping with melting marshmallows.**

**Thanks for all the support, guys. I'm doing two more chapters in this update, so here's 5 and 6. :)**

Chapter 5

Penny woke early, the rising sun spilling in through the window, warming her face, waking her before her alarm had a chance to buzz. She was uncharacteristically happy considering the hour. She stretched to reach the phone to turn her alarm off before it sounded and to check her messages. The reminder from her manager at The Cheesecake Factory was waiting for her just as she knew it would be. It was the day of the annual charity fundraiser event that she and her coworkers would be participating in.

Several months earlier, she and some of the other waitresses and a few of the bartenders had each committed a day of their time to raise money for a local homeless shelter. Their manger, in turn, had promised them a paid day off work in exchange for their service to the community. Today was the big day, the Pasadena Helping Hands Summer Carnival. It was being held on the football field of the nearby high school.

Penny opened the email and scanned the schedule for her assignment. Lisa was working the concession booth, Drew was selling beer, Lindsey was selling funnel cakes, Luke was working the hotdog stand, Brooke was working the ticket booth and, there it was, Penny would be working the ice cream stand. She was scrolling through the email for parking instructions when her text alert sounded.

_Lindsey: Did you read the email yet?_

Penny shrugged and replied:

_Penny: Yeah, I've got the ice cream stand and you've got funnel cakes. Is there a problem with that? I can trade if you want, I don't really care._

_Lindsey: No! Not that...did you scroll all the way to the end?_

_Penny: Uh, I was reading it when you texted me._

_Lindsey: Well then read it, girlfriend. I'm freaking out. I'm not sure charity is worth THIS._

_Penny: What is it?_

_Lindsey: Just read it!_

_Penny: God! Hang on..._

Penny closed her text window and returned to the email, there at the bottom, in all caps she saw exactly what Lindsey was freaked out about:

ALL PARTICIPANTS FROM THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY WILL EACH SERVE AN HOUR IN THE KISSING BOOTH. I HATE TO ASK THIS OF YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN BUT THE DIRECTOR OF THE PROGRAM FEELS WE COULD RAISE A HELL OF A LOT OF MONEY IF EACH OF YOU DO YOUR PART.

KISSES ARE FIVE DOLLARS EACH. I SUGGEST EACH OF YOU TELL YOUR HUSBANDS, WIVES, BOYFRIENDS, GIRLFRIENDS, DADS, UNCLES, COUSINS, MOMS, SISTERS, WHOEVER LIGHTS YOUR FIRE, TO COME ON OUT. OTHERWISE YOU'LL BE KISSING STRANGERS!

"Oh my God," Penny moaned, her fingers blazing away as she fired off texts to Lindsey and the rest of the girls.

"Great," she mumbled as she brushed her teeth and glared at her reflection in the mirror, "I try to do something good for my city and this is what happens."

She was running late now, due to the excessive texting and complaining with her fellow co-workers eating away at the extra time she'd allotted herself. She grabbed her coffee travel mug, her purse and her shoes and yanked her door open, spinning to pull it shut and then whispering an apology to the entire building for the loud bang it made when it flew forward and slammed shut behind her. Hard. She searched for her keys, digging deep in her purse, muttering curse words under her breath.

"Penny?"

She spun around and was met with her neighbor's piercing blue eyes bearing down on her. He still wore his goofy plaid pajamas and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Sorry Sheldon, didn't mean to wake you. I'm in a hurry and running late."

"Well, if you paid more attention to my schedule, which by the way, it is posted in my weekly email blast, you would know that I rise at six a.m. Saturday mornings. I have cereal and watch Doctor Who on the BBC."

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes, "I'll make a note of that."

"Sarcasm?"

She laughed, "Little bit. Listen, Sweetie, I'd really love to stand here and talk but I gotta go."

"But I was hoping to speak with you about, well, about perhaps you and I going on our next date. I was waiting to knock on your door at precisely eleven a.m., so as not to get punched in the throat."

She stepped towards him and patted him gently on his cheek, "I'd love another date with you. But I really can't talk about it now. I'm off to be do my part in supporting Pasadena, contribute to my community, all that crap. Ugg...say a prayer for me that I don't get some weird disease while I'm being an upstanding citizen."

"Oh. Might I inquire as to what exactly you will be doing to support our fine community?"

"Oh yeah, I'm working at the Pasadena Helping Hands Summer Carnival. It's over at the PHS football field. You should come see me there. I'm working the ice cream stand most of the day. And then the stupid Kissing Booth for a whole hour at noon, ewww."

He opened his mouth to reply, to ask more questions, but she'd breezed past him, a whirlwind of commotion and energy, and disappeared down the stairs before he could garner further information. He returned to his apartment and clicked the television off because Penny and a Kissing Booth was a topic that demanded to be Googled immediately. He quickly located the Pasadena Helping Hands website and followed the links to information about the carnival. He was not pleased with the idea that some other guy, no plural...guy_s_...may get to kiss her. This was not acceptable, not acceptable at all.

**~s/p~**

Penny scooped the peach ice cream and piled it high on a cone, then reached across to hand it to the freckled face little girl.

"I like your pigtails," Penny laughed.

"They match yours," the child giggled as she took her cone.

"Yep, right down to the pink ribbons!"

"Pink is my favorite color," the girl said, then poked her tongue out and licked the sweet, creamy frozen cone.

"Mine too!" Penny stood and looked at the girl's mom. "That's three dollars for the cone. You can just drop it in the jar there."

After they had gone, Penny stepped out from behind the table and glanced around the field. The crowd seemed to be growing and she was pleased to know she was playing a small part of something so big. It was true, helping others was the perfect way to make yourself feel good. And she did feel good. Until she looked down at her watch and realized she was due to report to the dreaded Kissing Booth in less than half an hour.

"Hey Beautiful," a familiar deep voice said, startling her from behind, "I'll take a vanilla cone. Two scoops."

Penny turned and looked at her newest customer, deciding it best to let his unnecessary flirty comment pass. No need to stir up trouble at a charity event.

"Kurt." She nodded and reached for a cone, issuing him a phony smile, "Sure, two scoops, that'll be six dollars."

"Still hot as ever, Babe," he said, leaning in close, too close, as she bent to scoop his ice cream.

"Great. Six dollars...in the jar," she said though gritted teeth, scooping harder and faster to be done with this moron.

"So, you got any plans when you finish up here?"

"Here's your cone, Kurt. Put the money in the jar, please."

She shoved the cone towards him, noting how he purposely brushed his hand against hers when he went to take it.

"So uh," he said, cramming the money into the opening of the jar, "you interested in hooking up with me after your shift is over here?"

"Nope."

"What? You think you're too good for me? Have you had a look at me?," he dropped his hand to the hem of his shirt and slowly raised it up, revealing his torso to her, "See this? Six pack. All for you, Penny. And, for the record, I'm sure you remember what a great fuck I am. How about it?"

"Get lost before I call security," she hissed, glaring at him across the table.

"Your loss, bitch," he spat, spinning to leave in a huff.

She knew guys like Kurt weren't accustomed to being turned down. There were too many stupid, airhead women out there willing to do anything guys like him wanted. She shook her head, thinking about the years she'd been caught up in that world, chasing after guys with hard bodies and empty heads and no hearts or souls. But those days were behind her now.

She smiled thinking about Sheldon, his long, scrawny arms and legs, his slender frame. She couldn't help but giggle to herself, thinking about his abs, how white and freckled and thin, not sculpted like a jock, but substantial. Her mind drifted back to the day he'd insisted she rub VapoRub on him, how he'd raised his shirt and looked expectantly at her, revealing a part of himself that she was sure he'd never shown anyone not related to him. She had tried to act angry, like he was such a bother, but really, she'd loved every minute of gliding her fingers across his chest.

"Hey Penny, I'm here to relive you. Your turn at the Kissing Booth."

Penny shook herself out of the not so clean thoughts she was having about her neighbor and looked over at Lindsey.

"Ewww, I don't want to do it. How was it?"

Lindsey shrugged, "Ah, it was okay. I had my boyfriend come and stand around, sort of glare at anybody that was gross or got out of hand. Mostly I just had a bunch of cute little boys and some old men. They all kissed me on the cheek. A couple of jerks tried to get fresh but when they saw my boyfriend, they backed down."

"Great. Can I borrow your boyfriend for an hour?"

Lindsey laughed, "I'd let you, but he had to go to work. You should be fine. Don't do anything you aren't comfortable with and if anybody gives you a hard time, yell for security."

"Gee, thanks. Guess I better get moving. See ya later."

"Have fun," Lindsey teased and Penny waved goodbye, turning to stalk towards the dreaded booth.

She'd just moved the sign to 'OPEN' when a small boy approached, a five dollar bill waving in his hand.

"You're pretty," he said shyly.

She leaned down and touched her finger to his nose, "And you're cute!"

"Here's my five dollars. Can I kiss your cheek?"

"You sure can," she laughed, lowering herself to his height.

Doctor Sheldon Cooper stood at a distance watching with distain. Even though this kid was probably no more than ten years old, it did not sit well with Sheldon that he was kissing Penny. As far as he was concerned, no other male, no matter his age, should ever kiss Penny. Except him. The night on the roof that he'd kissed her, the night he'd almost lost all control, had never been far from his mind. How he'd loved that feeling, his lips against hers, her body pressed against his, the way she'd willingly given in to his instinct to pull her as close to him as humanly possible. He still found himself baffled by that action. It was nothing he'd ever planned or even thought of doing. But he'd done it and she had not complained. Not at all. And he hoped someday, if she allowed, he would have the opportunity to do it again.

He shuffled his feet, concerned about his lack of knowledge in the area of human relationships, particular those of a romantic nature. He wondered if it would be appropriate to pay to kiss Penny. He thought it for a good cause, charity and all, and maybe she could forgive him if it was indeed a faux pas on his part.

As he stood, this internal debate raging inside, he watched as a large, muscular man ambled up to the booth. He recognized the thick, intimidating body immediately.

"Well, well," Kurt said, smirking at Penny, "we meet again."

"Get lost, Kurt" she said, darting her eyes around for a security official.

"Hey, you can't treat a paying customer like that. I'm sure there are rules or laws are something that protect my rights. Lucky for me, it looks like I've got the legal right to kiss you, long as I have the money."

He dug deep in his pocket and slowing dragging his hand out, produced a wad of cash.

"You are not kissing me," she said, glaring at him, daring him to get closer.

"Oh, come on Penny. Let's see, five dollars a kiss. I'll take, uh, wait, let me count my money..."

Sheldon approached as Kurt fumbled with his cash.

"Here's one thousand dollars. That's two hundred kisses. I believe, sir, I have purchased the remainder of this lady's kisses. You need to vacate the booth."

She grinned as she stood back, crossed her arms over her chest and watched Sheldon Cooper yet again rescue his damsel in distress.

Kurt stepped back and studied Sheldon. He clinched his fists and raised his chin, ready to move in for the kill. Penny held her breath, then slowly released it as she saw an approaching security officer.

"Everything okay over here?"

"Yes sir," Sheldon said, cramming the jar full of hundred dollar bills, "just paying for the kisses I purchased."

"You okay, Miss?" the officer said, looking from Sheldon to the red-faced Kurt.

"I'm fine, Sir," Penny said, giving Kurt a look of warning, relieved as he turned and slithered away from them.

"So," she said, looking up at Sheldon and smiling, "you rescued me yet again."

"Well, someone had to," he said, hoping she didn't notice the crimson blush that swept across his face.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down and whispered seductively in his ear, "My hero. Always my hero."

He closed his eyes, getting lost in her scent, "I purchased..."

"Two hundred kisses. I know," she sighed, "I know."

"May I?" he ask, trying to steady his voice.

"Are you sure, Sheldon? That's a lot of money. You don't have to..."

"Penny, as the Texas football fans I was surrounded with in my childhood were wont to say, 'I need to go big or go home,'" he said, twisting his hands nervously at his sides.

"Oh, we're going big. So big...as big as the entire state of Texas" she whispered, drawing him into her.

He lifted his hand to her cheek, "Penny, not that I'm complaining, but is there, perhaps, a more private place we could complete this transaction? As I am not very experienced within the kissing arena, I thought it might be more appropriate," he glanced around at the crowds, "and less stressful...if we could..."

She laughed and reached for his hand. She flipped the handmade sign to CLOSED and scooped up the money jar with her other hand, then pulled him towards the school that was to the left of the football field.

"Come on, I know the perfect place."

He followed her, letting her lead the way as he clutched at her hand. Having an excuse to hold Penny's hand was always a good thing.

"Here," she said, pushing through a tall iron gate, then re-latching it when they both were inside the ivy covered fence.

"Where are we?" he asked quietly, looking around, taking in the sight of blooming flowers and lush greenery that surrounded them.

"This," she said, releasing his hand and turning, moving to a bench and gently putting down the jar full of his money, "is the PHS horticulture and garden spot. I only know about it because last year I helped them plant those tulips over there for my volunteer day for the Cheesecake Factory."

He smiled at her, "Lucky for us the Cheesecake Factory is so community oriented."

"Yeah," she said, spinning around to take in the view, "isn't it beautiful? And it smells so good too doesn't it?"

He mustered his courage and reached for her, "Yes and yes."

She giggled, "I meant the garden."

"I meant _you_."

"My, you are certainly bold today, Doctor Cooper."

"Well, I just spent one thousand hard earned dollars. I'd say that buys an ounce or two of self-confidence."

"Mmm, I love a confident man," she teased him, wrapping her arms around his neck, scooting her body towards his. "Put your arms around my waist, Sheldon," she said softly, locking her eyes with his.

"Like this?" he asked, uncertainty creeping in.

"Just like that...you sure you're okay with this? I know you were just trying to save me from Kurt, but if this is too much, we can wait. I know we kind of lost control on the roof last week."

"I don't want to wait, Penny," he whispered, lifting a hand to her face and gently pushing a blonde strand away. "I came here today with every intention of purchasing your full supply of kisses. The fact that that Neanderthal Kurt happened to be there was a mere coincidence. He is of little consequence."

"Wait. You planned this?"

"I did."

"Sheldon," she sighed, "you never cease to amaze me. Just..."

"Just what?"

"Just kiss me, for God's sake, just please kiss me now."

She rose up on her toes, at the same time sliding her hand behind his head and gently pulled him down to her. Softly, she brushed her lips across his and began to whisper the number of kisses she gave him.

"One...two...three...four...five..."

He felt his vision blur, his equilibrium flutter, and his mind lose all capability as he got lost in her warm, sweet kisses. He knew then that two hundred kisses from Penny would never, ever be enough for him.

She began a trail of kisses down his neck, causing him to drop his forehead to her shoulder, shuttering and gasping for control of his body that now seemed to have taken over his mind.

Penny had stopped counting now, two hundred or two million, it would never be enough...he sighed as she pushed at the hems of his shirts, sliding her hands under them, smoothing her fingers along his skin. She gave him a gentle shove back, towards the bench that was just behind him.

"Sit down," she said quietly and he did as she said because really, at this point she owned him, he would have slain dragons or fought killer robots for her...anything, anything at all, just to have her continue kissing him.

She was straddling him now, the weight of her in his lap, the arousal surging through his body, the desperate desire...frenzied kissing, her hands under his shirts, his hands touching places he had been sure he'd never touch. He didn't know when or how his shirts came off, but the feeling of her wet mouth on his chest, her tongue flicking across his nipples, generated a low and deep groan from him that served to ignite her passion.

"Sheldon," she breathed heavily, her lips now whispering across his ear, sending shivers down his neck.

"I think we've exceeded two hundred," he said, because he knew if he didn't keep math in this equation he may say words that would embarrass them both.

"I don't give a fuck about the numbers," she said, biting at his earlobe, swiping her tongue inside his ear.

"God...Penny...we're in public...anyone could walk in here..."

"I know...I'm sorry," she said, pulling back and resting her forehead against his bare shoulder.

"I think we should..." he started.

"Go...we should go," she said, reaching for his discarded shirts.

He pressed his eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath before finally speaking.

"I must be the biggest fool in the universe."

She leaned forward, dropping a light kiss on each of his closed eyelids.

"No," she said, "just the biggest gentleman in the universe."

She straightened his shirts and then pulled them over his head, dragging her nails one last time across his back.

"Come on," she smiled at him as they both stood, "I've got to go sell some more ice cream. Wanna help?"

He grasp her hand and pulled her against him, "Next time, I may not be such a gentleman, Penny."

"Good," she laughed, "I'm gonna hold you to that."

He shook his head and then reached for the money jar, "Here, don't forget to turn this in, you earned it."

"Ah, you know what they say, anything for charity."

"And it's tax deductible," he said informatively.

"Always thinking, huh Sheldon?"

"Would you prefer me any other way, Penny?"

"Not in a million years, Moon Pie. I like you just the way you are."


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Sheldon stared at the television, it was on, the picture was there, the stars, the galaxy, the spaceship and the crew, but his mind was elsewhere. He'd kissed Penny on the rooftop, had her in his arms (a feat he'd never thought himself capable of) and the thoughts...Oh Lord...the thoughts that had invaded his mind as he held her, their bodies pressed together, lips fused.

And then there was the two hundred kisses he'd purchased. He would forever consider it the best money he'd ever spent. She'd ended up giving him far, far more that two hundred. And she'd crawled onto his lap, removed his shirts, licked his chest, done God knows what to his nipples...it had stirred a sensation within him unlike any he'd known before. And the feel of her nails scraping across his back, the sound that had escaped his mouth...and then he stopped her.

It wasn't because he wanted her to stop. He had assured himself repeatedly that had they been alone in his or her apartment he'd have let it continue, let her show him, teach him, take him all the way to where he was sure they both wanted to go.

They had been on two official dates (he didn't count the kissing booth because he'd taken the bus there alone, therefore since they didn't share transportation, in his mind, it did not constitute an official date). She had agreed to a third date but due to their schedules, they'd not set a time and place yet.

For the first time since Leonard had been gone, Sheldon found himself wishing his roommate were present to give him relationship and dating advice. Of course Sheldon knew that if Leonard were still in Pasadena he and Penny would not be dating, she'd still be trudging along in her relationship with his homunculus roommate. Six years of having Leonard around had proven that. It had taken Sheldon almost moving mountains to get Leonard on the Hawking research team. He owed a tremendous favor to Doctor Gablehauser now and he knew he'd be called upon any day to pay his debt. But if it meant that it brought he and Penny closer together, he'd gladly enter into whatever agreement necessary.

He'd thought to ask Raj for further advice in his pursuit of Penny, but if Raj's track record was any indication of his knowledge of affairs of the heart, his Indian friend would not be the best one to seek guidance from.

Howard had been successful in his pursuit of Bernadette, gotten her all the way to the alter, but Howard would not be able to keep this secret from Leonard. Sheldon had taken a chance in confiding in Raj, but he knew it was too risky to share his feelings concerning Penny with Howard.

So, Sheldon Cooper found himself alone. He was not only familiar with alone, but he was comfortable with it as well. Sometimes, he reminded himself, being alone, with only his wit and intellect to rely on, he'd crafted his greatest ideas and this time was no exception. The idea, simple as it was, was to get he and Penny away from the norm...create a situation that removed them from their daily occurrences, from jobs and friends and distractions. There was more to it than just creating a scenario that placed them in a location where it was just the two of them with no outside interferences. But it was a start, and he was satisfied with that for the night.

Once he could arrange the perfect setting, then it would befall him to make the right moves, woo Penny into loving him the way he had known for years he loved her. He suspected she did care for him. Her actions, not to mention her kisses, indicated that she definitely felt something for him. He had to believe that no woman would kiss a man two hundred times and not feel something for him. And surely Penny wouldn't sit in just any guy's lap the way she had in his. Of course she had been involved with numerous men throughout the years he'd known her, so maybe all of this, new as it was to Sheldon, was second nature to her. He had to figure out what to do to make sure _his_ was the last lap Penny ever sat in.

He reached to snatch the remote from the table and then clicked the television off. It was time for him to get ready for bed, he'd have to sleep on it for the night. He'd just tucked himself into bed when his phone vibrated.

_P: Goodnight sweet Moon Pie._

He sighed, trying to shake the feeling that he wished she were there next to him, whispering her goodnights in his ear instead of sending them electronically through the walls and across the hall of their apartment building.

_S: I wish you pleasant REM sleep, Penny._

Penny laughed and shook her head, always the proper one, he was.

_P: You 2 Sheldon._

Sheldon rolled his eyes, his fingers flying across the keypad of his phone.

_S: Penny, 2 is a number. I am quite sure you meant "too."_

She quickly tapped her response. She wondered if he knew that he was the only one she used such wrong spelling and grammar with when texting. It was her thing, something she'd always done to get a rise out of him. And she loved that it never failed to provide her desired results.

_P: U tooooooo Sheldon! _

_S: YOU do realize tooooooo is not a word._

_P: Nooooooo!_

_S: Goodnight my grammar challenged friend._

_P: NITE SHELDOOOOOOON!_

He smiled and stretched to return his phone to the bedside table. He was certain that if she could carry on with such nonsense and juvenile grammatical tomfoolery and yet he still longed to be with her, spend time with her, kiss her, well then, it must really be love. And he realized it didn't even bother him at all how many o's she put in her words. He still wanted her in his lap.

**~s/p~**

He wrote so rapidly on the whiteboard in his office that the high pitched squeaks could be heard in the hallway just outside his door. Numbers and formulas and etchings understood only by him danced across the board, his mind swirling with ideas and possibilities, never far from the dream of the ultimate physics prize.

The knocking at his door failed to get his attention and it was only when a low cough echoed through the room did he spin to find its owner.

"Doctor Cooper."

He nodded and made an failed attempt at appearing undisturbed by the impromptu visit.

"Doctor Gablehauser."

"Enough with the formalities, Doctor Cooper."

Sheldon capped his marker and moved to the edge of his desk, leaning slightly against it.

"I concur," he said, glancing at his watch to indicate he had little time to spare for anything less than the utmost of importance.

"How do you feel about Malibu?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's come to my attention that yet again, Doctor Cooper, you have failed to use your earned vacation days for this school year. As you know, we run on a June to June calendar year in the business office. I've been notified by Human Resources that we will be in violation of university policy if you do not take your days, as they constitute part of your salary and benefit package."

Sheldon considered this, remembering the last time they'd had an identical standoff. He knew he could verbally pin Gablehauser to the floor, but the man was his boss and in the end, he would be forced into taking a vacation no matter how brilliant a statement he made. So instead of raising an argument, he just shrugged.

"What do you have in mind, Doctor Gablehauser? I don't have any business in Malibu that I am aware of."

Gablehauser laughed and shook his head, "You know, Doctor Cooper, sometimes I long to peek inside that mind of yours, just to try and figure out the eccentric inner-workings."

"Yes well, you're not the first."

Gablehauser cleared his throat and nodded.

"Let me get straight to the point, Doctor Cooper. Remember that, uh, little favor I did for you concerning Doctor Hofstadter? As you are aware, I had to pull a lot of strings to get him on that ship."

Sheldon nodded. Payback was going to be hell, he was sure of it.

"Yes, I remember, Doctor Gablehauser. And as I have expressed many times, I am grateful."

"Well, grateful as you may be, Doctor Cooper, I still need something from you."

"I'm listening."

"Edwin Stewart and his lovely wife Evelyn, big donors of the University, are requesting assistance with their home while they are away on a European vacation. They usually contact the alumni office, who in turn notify me and I handle the Stewart's request each year. But for some idiotic reason this year, they sent the request to Doctor Siebert's office."

"And in what way does this have anything to do with me?"

"Well, Doctor Siebert's office has scheduled one of our doctoral candidates to take care of it, but I had already arranged for that particular student to assist me on a project."

"I see. And you are intending me, a man with my credentials and my standing in the scientific community, to do the job of a lowly doctoral candidate? In what universe is that acceptable?"

"Apparently, in _your_ universe, Doctor Cooper. Or if you'd rather, I can send a shore to ship message to Doctor Hawking's team informing them that Doctor Hofstadter must return to CalTech ASAP. Would you prefer that?"

Sheldon knew when he'd been bested. He drug his hand down the side of his face and grimaced.

"What do you need me to do, Gablehauser?"

"It's simple really. Any normal person would relish this assignment. Of course I realize you are not normal."

Gablehauser stopped to laugh at his own joke before continuing.

"The Stewarts will be in Europe for two weeks. They live in a beautiful home in Malibu, right on the oceanfront...just a beautiful, beautiful place. They need someone to basically move in, live in and take care of their home while they are away."

"I was under the impression that wealthy individuals had staff to do that sort of thing?"

"Yes, well, normally they would. But they give their housekeeper and handyman the two weeks off paid vacation so they don't have to be without them when they are in town. Hence the reason they call upon our students to help them each year."

"So why me? Isn't there another student that could do this? I see no need for the most highly regarded physicist in the country being relegated to performing the duties of house sitter."

Gablehauser shook his head and turned to push the door closed before he spoke.

"Because, Doctor Cooper, I would prefer Doctor Siebert not know of my, shall we say, _involvement_, with this particular doctoral candidate. It is of a personal nature and I wish not to have to explain it. So I send you instead, it solves two problems. You take your required vacation and the grad student keeps her plans and we all go on with our lives, no questions asked. Got it?"

"And if I refuse?"

"If you refuse, Doctor Hofstadter will be back in your apartment tonight, snorting his inhaler and unpacking his bags."

"Understood."

"We've reached an accord then?"

"We have. I just have one question."

"Yes?"

"Might I be permitted to have a guest join me at this Malibu home?"

Gablehauser grinned at him, then reached to slap him on the shoulder, "Well, well, Doctor Cooper. Isn't that entire reason you wished to get Doctor Hofstadter on that ship?"

"Sir?"

"Doctor Cooper, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Sometimes, you are your own obstacle, your own worse enemy. While you may not realize it yet, this assignment in Malibu is incredible, I'd advise you to take full advantage and not squander the opportunity."

"I'm sorry sir, but you've lost me. I don't understand."

Gablehauser gave him a sly smirk, slapped him on the shoulder a second time and gave him a knowing wink, "Do I have to spell it out for you, Doctor Cooper? _Take the blonde_."

**~s/p~**

Penny grabbed her phone, smiling at the picture of Sheldon that lit her screen, indicating an incoming call from him.

"Hey Sheldon. What up?" she answered, moving to settle in on her sofa.

"Penny, how do you feel about Malibu?"

It was after he'd disconnected his call with Penny when Sheldon realized it wasn't Leonard or Howard or even Raj that had helped him find a solution to his conundrum concerning his pursuit of Penny. Help had come in the form of Eric Gablehauser. It's funny how the universe spins sometimes.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and sweet comments, guys. I thought those last two chapters were kind of rocky so I'm glad yall didn't give up on the story. Some of you mentioned that you liked the fact that I used Doctor Gablehauser as an champion of Sheldon and Penny. I'm so glad you feel that way because Gablehauser will play a larger role in the story later on. **

**Again I am doing two chapters in this update. Mostly because chapter 7 feels kind of short to me so I managed to find the time to proofread/edit chapter 8 too just so I could post them both up (and so DarklyDreaming doesn't hunt me down! LOL...love ya girl!). Now that I feel Sheldon and Penny's relationship has been firmly established in the preceding chapters, you'll start to see the fic taking on more layers.**

**Just a reminder, tonight on TLC Jim's episode of _Who Do You Think You Are_ is going to be on. You're all invited to my house to watch it and we'll have Sheldon's Tuesday night special: barbecue bacon cheeseburger with the barbecue, bacon and cheese on the side. You bring the lemonade and I'll meet you in the kitchen! ;)**

CHAPTER 7

Penny had seen pictures and movies of the extravagant lifestyles of the people who lived in Malibu. It may as well have been Jupiter or Mars, a place she'd only ever hear of or read about. _Malibu_, playground of the rich and famous. Certainly no place an awkward physicist and exhausted waitress would ever vacation.

But Sheldon had invited her and now she stood in her manager's office seeking permission for two weeks off work.

"What can I do for you Penny?" Brian, her manager asked, looking up from behind the dingy, aging desk he sat behind.

After long negotiations, including Penny committing to pull double shifts for the next two weeks and help train the new girl, Brian had agreed to letting Penny take the two weeks off, even agreeing to pay her for one of them.

She walked heavily up the stairs, returning from work, tired but excited, looking forward to sharing her good news with Sheldon. Turning to her left and lifting a hand to knock, she was stopped by a familiar, droning, monotone voice coming from the other side of the door.

"Sheldon, we've been on break long enough. It's been almost a month. You have to have realized by now that you are a better man with me in your life."

"Amy," he said, his voice sharp and forcibly controlled, "we never stipulated a duration of time, therefore I am under no obligation to resume our Relationship Agreement."

"But Sheldon," Penny noted a drop in Amy's pitch and imagined her moving towards Sheldon to plead her case, "remember that night we kissed...and you touched my breasts? It was great. I know you enjoyed it as much as I did."

Penny's eyes went wide and she felt her chest go tight. Sheldon had told her nothing of kissing Amy and certainly not anything about his hands being anywhere near Amy's chest.

"Take a deep breath, Penny," she whispered to herself, leaning in to press her ear closer to the door.

"What I remember," Sheldon said firmly, "was you reading far too much into a game of Dungeons and Dragons. I remember you taking my hand and placing it on your chest...against my will, if I may be honest with you...and two very inexperienced people attempting to kiss. Although, as I recall, it was much like having my face licked by my sister's cocker spaniel."

Penny scrunched her face and stifled a giggle. That was her Moon Pie, always telling it like it is.

"Very well. So have we reached a point where we need to consider permanent termination of our Relationship Agreement? Has this little break you forced me into turned into a dissolution of our arrangement?"

"Possibly," he said, his voice was somber and Penny was sure Sheldon in no way wanted to hurt Amy.

"Is there someone else, Sheldon?" Amy asked unexpectedly.

Penny braced herself for Sheldon's answer. She heard him clear his throat uncomfortably and if she knew him as well as she thought she did, she was positive he was gripping the arm of the sofa, his knuckles white with tension.

"Amy..." he said softly.

"Oh my God, there is, isn't there?"

Penny detected the anger and hurt in her friend's voice and she wondered the best and most appropriate action she should take. She considered tiptoeing across the hall and escaping into her apartment. This was, after all, not really her business. But they both were her friends and she contemplated knocking on the door, or just entering unannounced and uninvited in an effort to break the obvious tension between the two of them.

"What the hell, Sheldon? I gave you almost two years of my life. I've been a good girlfriend, I've put up with all your idiosyncrasies and quirks and weird obsessive craziness and now you're dumping me?"

"Amy, please. I am not 'dumping' you. I wish for you to continue as a valuable member of my social group. I treasure you as a friend. I just do not desire a romantic relationship with you. I think it is time we face the real possibility that we are not compatible in a romantic sense."

"Sheldon Cooper," Amy was shouting now. Penny stood frozen on the other side of the door. "I'm the best girlfriend you're ever going to have. No one else will every want you. Don't even think they will. No one will ever put up with you like I have. I don't know who you are seeing, but I can assure you it will end, and not on a good note. Whomever this slut is, she'll get tired of you real quick, and don't think I'll take you back after your little..._fling_."

"I, Amy, I am not..." Penny could hear the pain in his voice. She was sure he'd never been spoken to in this manner and she was certain he didn't deserve it. Before she even realized what she was doing, her hand twisted down on the doorknob and the door sprung open, dragging her in with it.

"Penny?" they both said in unison.

"Uh, hey guys. I, uh," her eyes found Sheldon's and she saw the sadness they held. "I just got home from work and was, uh, coming over to check on Sheldon." She moved across the room and sat down beside him on the center cushion of the leather sofa. She patted his knee lightly, then gave him a quick and knowing nod. "So, I picked up our food order," she lied, quickly adding, "it's in my apartment. Sorry Amy, I didn't know you were going to be here, I just got enough for Sheldon and me."

Amy studied the two of them, at first with a look of confusion, but upon further examination, clarity began to settle onto her face. Her first instinct was to confront them, force them, her boyfriend and her 'Bestie,' to either confirm or deny what was now obvious to her. Amy chose to shrug and make for the door instead. She could see no benefit in challenging them at this time.

"No problem, Penny. I was just leaving."

"Okay," Penny said, faking a cheerful voice.

"Very well," Amy sputtered. She moved to the door, stopping just before stepping into the hallway. She turned and glared in Sheldon's direction, "Considered us terminated, Doctor Cooper. For now."

He nodded dejectedly and mumbled, "Very well, Doctor Fowler."

They sat quietly for a few minutes after she'd gone. Sheldon's body was tense and Penny wasn't sure if she should address the issue or wait for him to bring it up. She shot her eyes towards him and then she slowly reached for his hand, wrapping her fingers gently around his, relieved when she felt him slowly respond, giving her a slight squeeze in return.

"You heard?" he finally said, turning to face her.

"Yeah," she confessed. "I sort of, well I was coming in here to see you, and then I heard you guys and, well, I couldn't tear myself away. And then when she started being mean to you, I couldn't take it. I didn't want to give our secret away, but damn it Sheldon, I can't stand by and let someone talk that way to you."

He sighed, "She's said that to me before, you know."

Penny shifted her body towards his, "Wait, what? Which part?"

"That she's the best girlfriend I'm ever going to have. She has implied on more than one occasion that I am not worthy of anyone else ever, to quote her, 'putting up with me.' I fear she may be correct."

Penny pulled her hand from his and reached both her hands to his face, placing a warm palm on each of his cheeks.

"Look at me Sheldon," she said firmly, turning his head just enough to force eye contact. "You, Sheldon Lee Cooper, are an incredible man. You are smart, and funny, and so fucking beautiful." She dropped her right hand to his chest and smoothed it across his heart. "And you feel that? That right there, that heart of yours, God, you have such a good heart."

He dropped his forehead to her shoulder, resting it there, taking in her soothing scent along with the comfort of her touch.

"You, Sheldon, are worthy. A girl, any girl, would be lucky to be your girlfriend. I can only hope that someday..." she paused, realizing her emotions, her innermost hidden feelings, were getting tangled up in the moment and she stopped herself before she let slip what had been in her heart for years

"What?" he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion, "You hope someday what?" he said, lifting his face, squaring it with hers.

"I don't...I mean...I hope someday...you find what you want...who you want...you know, I just care about you and I want you to be happy."

He smiled at her, "Is that all?"

Smiling back, she felt the blood rush to her face, "Well...I think..."

"Yes?" he said, "you think what?" His voice was teasing her now and she released a soft, shy laugh.

"I think...I think we need to eat!" She jumped up and grabbed for her purse. "I'll order pizza!"

He stood and reached for her, gripping her arm lightly.

"Pizza? But you said you brought dinner home with you. Remember?"

"I lied."

"Why?" he asked, biting at his lip, resisting the urge to tug her closer to his body.

"Hey," she laughed, "you save me your way, I'll save you my way. Let's just say that tonight, Sheldor, _I_ was _your_ hero."

"I see. And are your going to peek?"

"Only if you want me to."

"I'm counting on it," he laughed, releasing his grip on her and moving towards the kitchen for the pizza menu.

They spent the rest of the evening on his sofa, eating pizza, watching a Firefly mini-marathon and talking nonstop, as was the norm for them. Neither of them could think of another person in their lives they'd ever conversed with as naturally and easily as they did with each other. And when they weren't talking, the easiness of their nonverbal connection kept them comfortable.

"So, did you speak with your manager today?" he asked.

"Yep," she said, between chews, "He's giving me the two weeks. And get this, he's even going to pay me for one of them because of the length of time I've worked there! Can you believe that?"

"So we are really going to do this? Two weeks in Malibu...just you and me? I can hardly believe it."

"Well believe it baby, it's really happening," she laughed, turning up her water bottle and gulping it down.

He rolled his eyes at her atrocious manners but he couldn't help but slap his hands down on his knees with joy. Malibu was really going to happen.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

"Are you sure about this?" Raj asked, peering at Sheldon over a whiteboard that brimmed with equations.

"Yes I am Rajesh. As I recently said to Penny, why would I say something I don't mean?"

Raj gave him a small smile and stepped back, moving to sink down into a chair across from Sheldon's desk.

"Very well, I'll call her tonight. After my recent fiasco with Lucy, I thought it would be a long while before I had another date."

"Lucy was a mistake Raj. The two of you were too much alike. Just like another couple I once knew," he added, quirking his eyebrow and moving to his desk chair.

"I don't follow?"

"There is an old cliché...'opposites attract'...and my current status with Penny has proven this to be true."

"This other couple...you mean you and Amy?"

"I do."

"You guys didn't work because you two were, like Lucy and myself, too much alike?"

"Correct. Amy is a fine person. She's bright, interesting, well educated and very loyal."

Raj waited, when Sheldon failed to continue, he prompted, "And?"

"And so am I."

"But those are all good qualities in a person. Why is that a problem?"

"That is not a problem. But I never felt...to use popular colloquial terminology...a _spark_ with Amy."

Raj grinned at him, "A spark? You mean a boner?"

Sheldon exhaled deeply and drug a hand across his face, hoping to hide his guilt.

"Just admit it. Old Smelly Cooper gets excited when he's around Penny."

"Rajesh, this is very inappropriate."

"Not really. We're talking chemistry here, my friend. And we _are_ in the science wing of the building so it is in fact, very appropriate. Just admit it, Amy is a nice girl, you like her, but you never felt...never had...any _chemistry_ with her. But with Penny, the chemistry between the two of you is like rocket fuel spewing out all over the place."

"Raj..."

"Dude, don't even try to deny it. I've seen it for years. It just took a catalyst for it to be set afire."

"A catalyst?"

"Yes. Leonard leaving...a catalyst. Then boom! You and Penny are on the launch pad just about to fire your rockets and shoot off into space."

"Really Rajesh, control yourself."

"Control myself? I think a more pressing question, Doctor Cooper, is how in hell have you managed to control _yourself_ thus far?"

"Kolinahr," Sheldon mumbled, shaking his head slowly and dropping his gaze to the folders on his desk.

Raj laughed and slapped the palm of his hand on the desk to get Sheldon's attention, "You Vulcan, you! Well, lucky for you the seven year anniversary of your and Penny's first meeting is on the horizon. And we all know what happens every seven years."

"Rajesh, please," Sheldon pleaded, his face now twitching, skin flushed pink.

"Pon farr, _babeeee!"_

Sheldon cleared his throat and sat up straight, "Much to my regret, I am hardly Vulcan."

Raj had his usually stoic friend right where he wanted him, "Ooh, I bet your blood is boiling, is it not?"

"That is of a highly personal nature."

"Oh, personal, _smersonal_, you have it bad for Penny...and you always have. The amazing thing is, after seeing you two together on the roof that night of my brilliant Cheeseburger in Paradise soiree, I think the feeling is very mutual."

"Raj, please. I asked you here to discuss Amy, not my relationship with Penny."

"But this is so much fun," Raj teased, "Sheldon and Penny sitting in a tree, K-i-s-s-i-n-g...oh, have you kissed her yet?"

"Rajesh, _please_," Sheldon whined, now blushing profusely.

"Okay, okay," Raj laughed, putting his hands up in surrender to his friend's wishes. "So back to Amy. You sure you want me to ask her out? You guys did date for a long time. And it's no secret how she feels about you."

"While we were in some sort of a relationship, I hardly call it dating. It was more like me going along with her wishes to avoid hurting her feelings. I always have considered her a friend and valued my relationship with her. I wish her happiness, it's just I have never been and never will be able to provide her what she needs...what she deserves."

"And you think I can?"

"I wouldn't be suggesting it if I did not believe you could be good...for each other. You both are treasured friends and I wish nothing but the best for each of you. Yes, I believe you and Amy Farrah Fowler could pair bond successfully."

"So," Raj said, his voice turning serious, "I take care of your Amy _situation_, what about Leonard?"

Sheldon shook his head, "Well, I hear from Wolowitz that Leonard has, unsurprisingly, 'hooked up' with some 'hot girl' on the Hawking ship. It is my hope that the Leonard issue will solve itself."

"Yeah, Leonard is a chick magnet, huh?"

"Well, if you call falling for any girl that gives him the time of day a 'chick magnet' then I suppose so."

"But dude, you know how he is where Penny is concerned. Even when he's been hooking up with another girl...including my own sister...he still doesn't want Penny dating any other guy."

"Yes, it's the old conundrum isn't it? He wants Penny when he wants her, but when he doesn't want her, he still doesn't want anyone else to have her either."

Raj was taken aback by the bitterness in Sheldon's voice.

"This really bothers you, doesn't it?"

"Rajesh, for years I have stood on the sidelines and watched Leonard move from woman to woman. As well, I've seen Penny do the same with men. And it seems to me that they have used each other as merely a familiar place to land between failed relationships. I have had private conversations with each of them throughout this madness and one thing has become clear to me."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"It's that I've wasted a lot of years not being with Penny. She and I should have been together from the start."

**~s/p~**

Raj had been slightly nervous when he phoned Amy to ask her to dinner. While he was enjoying his newfound ability to speak to women without the aid of alcohol, he still felt waves of pending rejection rumbling in his stomach. He'd been pleasantly surprised when she'd agree to accompany him to Pasadena's newest Italian restaurant. They'd shared a pleasant evening, even stopping off at the pier on the way home to watch the fireworks explode over the vast darkness of the Pacific.

Now they stood in the hallway outside her apartment. He fidgeted with his hands, yanked at the bottom of his windbreaker then hesitantly leaned in for a goodnight kiss. She pulled back and squared off with him.

"Rajesh, while I am flattered that you asked me out, I can assure you it is not over with Sheldon and me. Furthermore, I am certain that Leonard will feel the same way about he and Penny."

"What are you saying, Amy?"

"What I am saying, Raj, is, I will give Sheldon and Penny the summer to get this out of their systems. It has been brewing for some time now. Long before you and Howard brought me into the fold."

"You know?" he whispered.

"Anyone who has seen them together would know. It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he said, unable to mount a defense or argument on his friend's behalf.

"They can have the summer, but come fall, come Leonard's return to Pasadena, this thing between Sheldon and Penny will be squashed. The four of us shall return to status quo."

"I thought, well, that you and I..." She cut him off before he could finish.

"This has been nice, Rajesh. But there is no need to start something that will go no where. Come fall, I'll be right back with Sheldon and Penny will be back with Leonard."

Raj thought for a moment, weighing his words, then said softly, "but Amy, don't you want more? Shouldn't you demand more for yourself?"

"I do want more. And I will demand more. I'll demand more from Sheldon."

"But don't you see, Amy? You shouldn't have to beg for it, you shouldn't have to plead. It should come naturally, a man should want you in the most organic of ways...he should not be coerced or manipulated. And I've watched you, you know, I've watched you manipulate Sheldon for two years now. He may be a brilliant physicist, but he is weak in the area of human relationships and social protocol. You have exploited that weakness."

"Exploited? I prefer to say I have steered him in the right direction."

"But the right direction for you, not for him."

She laughed, "He'll learn to appreciate me and the future I have planned for us. I have a five year plan, you know."

"But don't you think he'll grow to resent you someday if you trap him with this five year plan of yours?"

She shrugged noncommittally, "He won't know what hit him."

"And you don't think Penny will have something to say about this?"

"Penny? Are you serious? Leonard has her right where he wants her. He plays her like...well, like he plays his cello. I love Penny, but let's face it, she'd not the brightest bulb in the lamp. When Leonard gets back, he'll give her a little wine, take her to bed a few times, give her just the right puppy dog eyes, and she'll be right back with him, never even see it coming."

Raj stepped back, studying her, astonishment written across his face, "I didn't know you could be so calculating, Amy. I wish I'd never entered Sheldon's information on that internet dating site. I see now what a mistake it was. I will forever regret it."

Amy moved forward and kissed him on the cheek, "And yet I'll always be grateful for your interference in Sheldon's life, Raj. I owe it all to you."

Raj turned without saying goodbye and left her standing there alone. He felt sick all the way home.

**~s/p~**

Amy opened her laptop and clicked to her photo library, rapidly scanning through the files until she reach the one, her favorite one, labeled _My New Life_. There were pictures of her "Bestie" looking beautiful in ways only she could, long blonde hair, pouty pink lips and skin as smooth as silk. Amy released a soft breath as she trailed her finger across the monitor screen, outlining Penny's face with precision.

Then there were the snapshots of Sheldon. He was sullen and exasperated and annoyed in each photo and he hadn't tired to hide his displeasure in the least. Most of the pictures of him were of the side of his face, of him turning away just before the click of the camera.

She smiled, leaning into the screen and whispered, "You _will_ be mine."

**~s/p~**

"Thank you for accompanying me to the movie this evening, Penny."

His voice was shy and sincere. Penny leaned against the door of her apartment and smiled at him.

"Well, you know, the new Superman flick, who could possibly resist that?"

He grinned, "Don't forget the Red Vines and Icees."

She reached to press a palm against his cheek, and whispered, "How could I possibly forget?"

Sheldon tilted his head as if studying her, a mystery that to this point remained unsolvable. She was alluring and fascinating, never ceasing to unnerve him.

"Would you like to come in for coffee?"

"Now Penny, you know I would never drink coffee this late in the evening, in fact, as you are very well aware, I rarely drink coffee at all."

She quirked an eyebrow at him, "Sheldon, we talked about this, about what 'coming in for coffee' really means. Remember?"

Leaning in, he whispered softly in her ear, "Bazinga!"

She laughed in spite of herself, "I haven't heard that in awhile."

Unlocking the door, she fumbled for the light, then flipped her stereo on as she glanced back at him over her shoulder.

"Make yourself comfortable," she said, gesturing towards the sofa. "These shoes are killing me, I'm gonna change them, I'll be right back."

Sheldon almost began a helpful lecture on proper foot care, but thought better of it, deciding there was no need to break the mood of their night by engaging in a lively discussion of podiatric issues. While he still had not quite figured Penny out, he was sure she would not be interested in a lengthy discussion of that particular topic. He was learning.

Returning to the room, soft pink bedroom slippers having replaced the toe crushing heels she'd worn earlier, she found him in her kitchen leaning in to study the pictures that hung on her refrigerator door. His hands were clasp behind his back, shoulders bent forward, and Penny took a moment to admire his backside before making her presence known.

"Hey," she said, moving in behind him, "whatcha looking at?"

He straightened, turning to look at her, and smiled, "Oh, just the snapshots of what I assume are of you and your siblings."

She grinned and pointed to her favorite picture, "Yep, that's me and my sister Macy and my brother Tony...that's all of us, hanging out in good 'ole Nebraska."

"Ah, a trio of seed-spitting, firefly-catching, all American kids."

She laughed, "You remember."

"You thought I would forget?"

"You? Never."

Penny pushed up on her toes and smoothed a soft kiss across his cheek, smiling at the blush that instantly rose in his face.

"Nebraska," he whispered, inhaling her scent.

"Yeah," she sighed, grinning up at him.

"Your selection of music is lovely, Penny. Might I ask what it is?"

She grinned "Just a mix of jazz stuff, my mom and sister are both big fans. I listen to it when I'm just hanging out, cleaning the apartment, reading...you know, when I don't have the tv on and I just want to chill."

"Or when you have a gentleman caller," he added.

"A gentleman caller? What century are you in, Sheldon?"

"You mock me?" he said, moving towards her and wrapping his arms around her.

She sighed and rested her head against his chest, recalling that he preferred swaying to dancing and said as much, "Sway with me, Sheldon."

"You remember."

"You thought I could forget?" she mimicked him and they both laughed.

"It would be my pleasure to sway with you, Penny."

She moved to the open area just behind her sofa, pulling him along behind her, then turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers immediately settling in his hair, something they both enjoyed, and she released a soft breath when he pulled her close to him.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but was certain his bedtime had come and gone, yet she was in his arms, humming softly to the saxophone coming from the speakers, and there was nothing in the world more important to him at this moment than swaying with Penny.

"Texas," she breathed out, her face pressed against his chest.

"Yeah," he sighed as his fingers moved in soft circular patterns along her back.

"I get so lost in you," she whispered up to him.

"We'll get lost together in Malibu," he responded, it being the only thing that mattered to him lately.

"You wanna get lost in me Sheldon?"

"I already am, Penny."

She drew in a deep breath and said what they both had been thinking, "We have the summer. But when fall comes..."

"I don't want to think about the fall, we need to live in the present."

"Yes, but we can't stick our heads in the sand. I think Amy already suspects something. And when Leonard gets back, well, you know how that will go."

He tightened his grip on her, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I refuse to discuss this now."

"Hey, I'm the Queen of Denial. You don't want to talk about it, fine by me."

"Very well, we have an accord."

She laughed, "Do I need to sign something?"

"No, your word is good enough for me."

"This is nice, Sheldon. I love feeling you arms around me, just, you know, never let go, okay?"

"I would prefer to not let go, Penny, but it very late and I need to go."

She sighed reluctantly, "I know."

She felt his hands sliding freely along her back, taking an occasional bold brush across her derrière, his fingers tracing lightly, creating invisible abstract forms, his breathing heavier, his desire unmistakable.

He pressed his eyes together, attempting to regain control, making every effort to release her.

"Don't be a gentleman tonight, Sheldon," she whispered, slowly beginning to unbutton his shirt.

"Penny," his tone was low, filled with heat, "We agreed to take this slow...it's late...we have Malibu...I just..."

She stopped her slow attempt to remove his shirt and patted his chest gently, humbled by his charm and restraint. "You're right." She pulled away from him and walked to the door.

When he reached her, he stopped and bent to plant a kiss on the top of her head. "For the record, being a gentleman sucks."


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

They were quite as Penny maneuvered the car along the Pacific Coast Highway towards their Malibu destination. They had not spent much time together in the week leading up to their trip, as Penny had been required to work extra hours to make up for the two weeks she would be away.

The GPS Sheldon brought along guided them directly to the house which would be their home for the next two weeks. Penny sighed happily as she pulled off the road and up to the tall gates at the end of the driveway. She turned towards Sheldon and watched as he fidgeted with his phone, pulling up the email Gablehauser had sent him.

"Press in 27983," he said, leaning forward to watch as she lowered her window and poked her finger towards the security panel. She touched the numbers he'd called off and they both turned to watch as the huge iron gates sprang to life.

"Perfect!"

Sheldon grinned at her, "The marvels of technology and mechanics working in unison."

"It's so cool."

"Yes, _cool_, exactly the desired result of years of hard labor and research" he shot back sarcastically.

"Touché," she nodded and grinned over at him.

"So," she whispered after they'd entered the home through the massive garage where she'd parked her car, "wanna take a tour before we get settled in?"

"Wow," he said, one of the few times in his life he'd been rendered almost speechless.

They stood there taking in the majesty of the mansion, the modern lines, elegant furnishings and overall opulence.

"Oh my God," she squealed, raising her hand and pointing forward. "Look at that view."

His eyes followed her gesture and landed on the stunning crystal blue of the Pacific just outside the glass windows. Rolling whitecaps bounced along the water's surface and seagulls flew and dove in the air.

"Let's start there," he suggested and she readily agreed, following him as he led them through folding glass doors that extended out onto a massive veranda that looked out onto an infinity edge pool. The ocean appeared to begin where the pool ended, merging gently into the other.

"Sheldon," she said breathlessly as they stood side by side gazing across the glorious scenery, "how did you...I mean, I can't believe...wow...are we lucky or what?"

He turned to face her, reaching to tuck a stray strand of blonde behind her ear, "Yeah, lucky."

**~s/p~**

They'd argued over bedrooms and bathrooms and what to have for dinner. In the end, they'd settled on the two largest bedrooms upstairs that were next to each other, facing the sea. The rooms each had their own bathroom and shared a balcony that extended the length of the house, accessible from the sliding glass doors in each of the bedrooms.

"We can't very well order pizza our first night in Malibu," she said and he nodded his agreement.

"It seems," he noted as they explored the massive kitchen, "that the Stewarts left a fully stocked pantry and refrigerator, along with an extensive list of restaurants that deliver."

"Yeah, and look at that grill out there."

He grinned, holding up a neatly wrapped package from the top shelf of the refrigerator, "Look, there's steak."

"Great! You know how to grill 'em?"

He gave her a flustered look of derision, "Penny, I'm from Texas, I was born to grill."

"Of course," she laughed. "Okay, you grill the steaks and there's plenty here to make a salad, I'll get started on that."

Two hours later they were finishing dinner, sitting poolside, watching as the sun sank into the sea.

"Sheldon," she said, her voice filled with sincere appreciation, "thank you so much for inviting me. I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful...and we have two whole weeks here!"

"Yes," he sighed, his eyes torn between watching the beauty of nature and the beauty of Penny, "it is glorious, is it not? I'll have to thank Gablehauser later. It seems I may have miscalculated the situation. This is magnificent."

Penny watched him, her eyes trailing a path along his face. He was looking out on the ocean now, and she studied his profile. His cheekbones were high, his nose perfect, his lashes long...she found herself enticed by the moles and freckles that dotted the side of his face, his Adam's apple protruding from the center of his throat, and his neck, that impossibly long neck that made her want nothing more than to trace it. With her tongue.

She shifted in her chair, pushing the impure thoughts from her mind.

"Hey, let's go for a swim, want to?"

He looked at her from the corner of his eye, never turning his head.

"You know I don't swim. I sink right to the bottom."

She stood and moved in behind him, placing a hand on each of his shoulders, leaning down, she whispered hotly into his ear, "I'll teach you. Come on."

He bit at his bottom lip, working it slowly between his teeth, then stood dutifully and trailed behind her as she made her way upstairs to their bedrooms to change into their swimsuits.

Sheldon stood in the bathroom naked, his swim trunks placed neatly on the counter beside the sink.

"I can do this," he whispered into the mirror, running a hand through his hair. He reached for the trunks and bent to step into them. A week earlier he had called his sister for clothing advice on this trip, as he had not owned a swim suit since he was ten years old.

"Get a red one," Missy insisted, "red is power, and believe me, Shelly, women love power."

He had purchased a red pair, but also had been unable to resist buying a black pair that had tiny bat signals printed all over them. And Raj, always the fashionista, had surprised him with a plaid pair of trunks. He'd rolled his eyes, but Raj had assured him "the ladies love a man in plaid" and Sheldon didn't have the desire, nor the fashion sense, to argue. He'd brought all three pairs with him, and now he stood studying his physique carefully, the red fabric hugging his slim waist. He thought to go out in just his swim trunks but instead, stopped by the closet and grabbed a solid white T-shirt and yanked it over his head. He was surprised that he felt so exposed, Penny had seen his chest when he was sick and the time in the garden when she'd giving him his two hundred plus kisses. But somehow, he just couldn't find the confidence to greet her whilst uncovered.

"Well," he mumbled halfheartedly, "here goes nothing."

Penny was waiting for him in the hallway when he stepped out of the bedroom. She was leaning against the wall wearing a bright pink bikini that was visible though the sheer white cover that hung loosely off her shoulders.

She whistled deep and loud, then bellowed, "Woo-hoo, look how cute you are, you look hot in red Moon Pie!"

"Penny," he sighed, "while I appreciate the sentiment, please hold down the cat calls."

She giggled and pushed a thick white beach towel towards him, "Here, I found these fluffy towels in my bathroom. God, rich people...even the towels here scream money."

He rolled his eyes, "Well, let's get this over with. If I'm to drown, I'd just as well do it now as later."

She reached to pinch him lightly on his arm, "I promise, Doctor Cooer, I will not let you drown. Besides, where would I hide the body?"

She howled with laugher and skipped quickly down the stairs.

"Come on Cooper, take it off!" She yelled from the pool. She'd immediately removed her bathing suit cover and dropped it and the towel onto a nearby lounge chair.

He placed his towel down in the chair beside hers, folding it first of course, and then walked slowly to the edge of the pool. Sunlight was fading fast and the exterior lights on the property, along with the soft lights beneath the water of the pool had been activated by a timer. The outdoor space glowed, a soft haziness settling in around them, creating an ambiance of tranquility.

"Penny, were you not so gung-ho in everything you do, I was going to point out that it has not quite been an hour since we ate. We are supposed to wait at least an hour."

Rolling her eyes, she swept her hand across the pool's surface sending a large splash his way, the water just missing him when he took a quick step back.

"Gung-ho? What's that, Gramps?"

He shook his head and sighed, "You know, overly enthusiastic. Gung-ho. Really Penny, I could teach you so much."

Penny laughed, then rolled her body over in the water and swam off in the opposite direction. Coming up for air, she turned to locate him and saw him at the edge of the pool.

He was sitting now, his feet dangling in the water and she moved swiftly towards him.

"Come on Sheldon, take your shirt off and get in. It's been long enough for your food to digest or whatever."

He stared at her, lost in her smooth tan skin and wet blonde hair. He watched, speechless, as she ducked backwards, going underwater, then seconds later rising up, her head thrown back, the water rolling tiny droplets over her glistening body.

"Get in," she said, now bobbing in front of him. She gave his leg a gentle underwater tug.

"So you think you can teach me to swim in one night?"

She smiled up at him, gathering her wet hair in her hands and squeezing out the excess water.

"Well, we won't know till you are in here with me, will we?"

Giving her a shy glance, Sheldon slowly lifted the shirt over his head. She felt her lungs expand as she silently gasped a deep intake of air, the sight of him in this environment, so rare and intimate, so incredibly overpowering.

He stealthy eased into the pool, taking a moment to adjust to the water's temperature. Penny watched as tiny chill bumps scattered across his skin. She instinctively reached for him, placing her hands on his shoulders, running her fingers across the ridges of his collar bone.

"Hi," she said softly, the water dancing around them, lifting her, drifting her towards him.

Sheldon watched her, felt her hands on him, her eyes heavily lidded, the lashes batting away moisture. A small stream of water had formed and trickled seductively down her chest, traveling between her breasts and for the life of him, he could not force his eyes from watching it.

"You unnerve me," he finally spoke, his voice just above a whisper.

She moved closer, easily now, as the swirl of the water lifted her, her body buoyant, gently bumping his.

"It's saltwater," she said, as if she felt the need to explain to him the silky quality of the water. "It's the best."

Raising a hand to her neck, he trapped a single drop of water beneath his thumb, then brought it to his mouth.

"It's salty," he confirmed, wondering about the bacteria he'd just partaken of.

Sensing his apprehension, she smiled and promised him, "It's safe, the generator puts out chlorine to kill any bad stuff."

"And you know this how?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

She laughed, "I was a lifeguard for a hotel the first summer I lived in L.A. We were not only responsible for saving little kid's lives, but we had to keep the chemicals and salt levels up to code also."

"I see," he said, relaxing despite himself.

"So," she ventured, "you wanna go down to the deep end and let me teach you some swim stuff?"

His eyes swept across her and she heard him release a long sigh, "I'd rather just stand here with you."

Penny nodded her acquiescence and she watched as he moved closer to her. He smiled and she felt his hands timidly brush against her waist under the water's surface.

"That feels good," she said, moving closer, putting her feet on top of his, the salt water rendering her weightless.

"It's okay?"

"Yeah," she whispered, slipping her hands around his neck, "I want you to touch me, Sheldon."

He returned his hands to her sides, bolder now, splaying his long fingers across her skin. He felt her hand skimming across the back of his neck, working its way up, settling in his damp hair. He closed his eyes, relaxing into the feel of her fingers combing across his scalp.

"Mmmm..."

Penny moved closer, struggling against the desire to float her legs up and wrap them around him, anchoring herself to him. She knew he was enjoying the moment, feeling the tension leaving his body as she massaged his head with one hand and his neck with the other. His hands tightened their grip on her waist, the water rolled around them, pushing her towards him. Within seconds she felt the beginnings of his arousal.

Her warm breath heated his ear, "I can feel how much you like this."

"Penny," he spoke her name, shaking his head, instinctively sliding his hands down behind her legs and lifting them, encouraging her to wrap them around him.

Her mouth had dropped to his neck now, her tongue darting, teeth skimming across his wet skin. He shuddered and let out a low moan as she ground herself against him.

"Penny," he said again, placing a hand behind her head and tugging gently at her hair.

"God," she whispered, flexing her vaginal muscles, stimulating herself, wanting nothing more than to feel him inside her.

"I warned you before. I can no longer be a gentleman if I kiss you," he breathed out just as her lips grazed his.

"Then don't be a gentleman."

With that, their lips clashed, mouths battling for dominance. She felt his fingers drop and began an agonizingly slow trace along the outer edges of her swimsuit.

His mouth left hers for a seductive journey down her neck, to her chest, smoothing teasingly closer to her breasts. His teeth grazed the exposed skin and she reached to push the fabric back, freeing her breast for him. He lifted his head, met her eyes, wild and questioning, and she nodded slightly at him.

"Anything you want. Anything at all."

He dropped his face back to her chest, dragging his tongue to her exposed nipple and taking it in his mouth. She felt him circle it slowly, his pace increasing, his teeth biting gently, before he began a frenzied sucking, then dragging his mouth over, giving the other the same attention.

Penny dropped her hand beneath the water and began to slowly stroke him through his trunks, feeling him growing harder by the second.

"You're huge," she mumbled, her mouth against his neck now.

Sheldon felt a sense of unmistakable pride wash over him at her commentary on his manhood. While he really had no idea why her assessment of his member brought him such joy, his body certainly reacted, instinctively thrusting forward into her hand that pressed against the fabric separating his skin from hers.

"I can't...hold it...Penny...I'm going to..."

He released a low groan and she watched as his face twisted with agony and pleasure. Gasping, he dropped his hands, reaching back for the wall of the pool for support.

"Oh God...I apologize," he began, his body trembling now, his eyes flashing with distress, searching for a quick escape.

She moved nearer to him, again wrapping herself around him, "Oh no you don't," she smiled, "you don't apologize for anything. That was so damn hot, you don't know how much it turned me on watching you get off like that."

"What?" he asked, stunned that she wasn't running for the exit.

"Let's get out of the pool," she whispered, taking his hand, relaxing when she felt him wrap his fingers around hers, letting her lead the way to an oversized lounge chair nearby. She lowered herself to the cushions, smiling when he eagerly followed her down. She took his hand and moved it towards her, placing it exactly where she needed, guiding him into a slow and steady rhythm.

"I need you, Sheldon."

"Show me," he sighed, his thumb already tracing near her opening, his stomach tightening. Lowering his head, his mouth reclaiming her nipple while letting her hand lead him. When he felt her push the fabric of her suit back, he didn't hesitate to move his index finger under it, guiding it between her folds, sliding it into her, sighing at the utter intimacy they shared, her rapid breathing echoing in his ears. He felt her jerk the bottom of her bikini down, freeing him to add a second finger. He began to move in and out of her, his thumb and hers, both stroking across her heat, driving her faster towards release.

He felt himself hardening again, and it surprised him that it happened so soon, but then again, he'd never been with a woman in this way. Perhaps, he rationalized, it was his libido's way of making up for lost time.

"You're hard again," he heard her say, then felt her fingers wrapping around his length, pulling his stiff erection from his swim trunks and guiding it towards herself.

Slowing his motions, he sucked in a deep breath, "Penny, I'm not sure..." he tried to speak, his voice failing him.

"Just the head, that's all. I just want to feel you touch me...oh God...yeah, that's perfect Sheldon...I don't want to do anything you aren't comfortable with," He shuddered at the contact, felt the involuntary movement of his hips thrusting forward, his cock instinctively aching to fuck. "Yeah...that's perfect," Penny said, arching her back, dragging a hand up the curves of her body, stopping to caress her own breast, rolling her hard nipple between her fingers, lifting it upwards, feeling him tremble as she locked eyes with him then seductively grazed her tongue across herself, putting on a show just for him.

"God," he moaned, watching her intently.

His fingering grew frenzied, keeping pace with the steady pumping of her hand along his shaft, her thumb teasing across it's head.

"Yes..." she groaned, draping an arm over his shoulder, wrapping it around his neck and pulling him closer, encouraging his mouth towards her chest. "Sheldon...please...yeah, that's it...that's so good."

He felt her began to spasm around his fingers, felt his own release building, felt words he'd never spoken aloud dancing in his brain and on his tip of his tongue.

"Fuck...oh fuck..." she hissed, pressing her forehead against his chest, grinding harder as she came.

She was stroking him faster now, his tip bumping teasingly against her slick wetness, her thumb occasionally sweeping across him, stimulating him further.

"Oh fuck," this time it came from him and she watched with lustful eyes as he clamped his hand over hers and helped jerk himself to completion, firing his hot release across the smooth skin of her stomach.

"Fuck," she whispered into his chest.

"Indeed," he said, heaving for air and wishing for the night to never end.

**~s/p~**

They stayed poolside till after midnight, wrapped together in towels, cuddling close against the cool breeze of the night air that rose off the ocean. It'd taken some time for Sheldon to recover from his shyness of the intimacy they'd shared. Penny had chattered on about movies and music and their friends back in Pasadena. Soothing him with her words, along with gently placed touches across his back and arms, offering him comfort, reassuring him that what they had done was nice, it was normal, and she was happy.

When they finally made their way back into the house, both yawning and yearning for a shower and sleep, he had reached to stop her. She turned to look at him, getting lost in the intensity of his eyes.

"You continue to take my breath away," he'd said simply, then grasp her hand in his and they'd gone up the stairs in an easy silence.

He walked her to her bedroom door and stooped to press his lips to hers.

"Goodnight Penny," he whispered in her ear, feeling her shiver beneath his fingertips. "I enjoyed our activities tonight."

She gave him a gentle laugh and nodded in agreement, "I enjoyed our activities too, Sheldon."

"I...well, I will see you in the morning. I hope you have pleasant REM sleep."

"Goodnight Sheldon," she breathed out, wishing he'd join her in her bed, though she knew it was too much for him at this point.

After showering she'd laid in bed thinking of him. Her mind racing back to their first meeting all those years ago, the look he'd given her across his whiteboard on the first day she'd stood in his apartment, the intensity of that day permanently etched into her heart and soul. She'd wanted him then, wondered what it would be like to hold him, to feel him pressed against her, to feel his heart beating under her palm as it lay against his chest.

It frightened her now. They were both aware of the energy and passion between them, the sparks that flew when they touched, when they whispered their secrets to each other. It was a feeling so powerful that it had overwhelmed them, staggering and so deeply profound that, if not honored, could destroy them both.

Sheldon lay flat on his back, tucked securely beneath the covers in a strange bed. He was fighting sensory overload, so many new things at once had caused him to feel overwhelmed, and were it not for Penny's tenderness and guidance, he was sure he would have combusted by now.

The intimacy they'd shared in the pool replayed in his mind, and he blushed into the darkness of the night. He'd never been so close, physically or emotionally, to another person in his life. He'd longed for it since the day he'd met her, but she'd been off limits due to her on and off dalliances with his best friend and roommate. Leonard had laid claim to her, and due to his lack of experience, Sheldon had backed off, too unskilled in the art of human relationships to fight for the woman he wanted. He pushed away his anger and resentment, and chose to focus on the present. They had been granted a few summer months to examine their potential as a couple and he didn't want to waste it lamenting the past.

He couldn't wait to see what came next, although, judging from the embarrassing and perpetual state of his libido, he was sure he already knew. It was just a matter of time and he could hardly wait. Sleep was beginning to take hold now, and he pressed his eyes closed, losing himself in the memory of her touch.

Next door, past the wall that separated them, Penny wondered what she was doing in the massive kingsized bed all alone. She ached for him to be there with her. She contemplated getting up and knocking on his door, inviting him to her room, but she was aware that he was already overly stimulated and knew it was best not to introduce even more changes to him right now. Besides, they'd stopped just short of intercourse, of penetration, and she had no doubt that if she had him in bed next to her, there was no way she could stop herself from climbing on him and mounting him, riding him until they both came together in pure bliss. That would come later, she was sure of it, but for now, she'd just grin into the night and think back to what they'd done in the pool.

She finally drifted off to sleep, lost in the memories of the best night of her life.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: As usual, you guys are the best. I was really sweating that last chapter. I don't feel like I'm very good with the steamy/smutty stuff and I was afraid I'd scare you all away with chapter 9. So thanks to all of you for still hanging in there with me. We're getting to the heart of the story now and I really enjoyed writing these next two chapters. Yep, I'm posting two this time! :)**

CHAPTER 10

Malibu was serene, their days there untouched by the outside world. Sheldon wondered if he could invent something, something far better than a time machine, an apparatus that would simply cease time from moving forward. A machine that would freeze the moment, forever locking them into this dimension and this place, together forever, time standing still, nothing robbing them of being together.

"I've never felt this peaceful," she said, raising her voice to be heard against the crashing of the waves that rode in and out across the sandy beachfront.

He reached for her hand, lacing his fingers with hers, pulling her to a stop.

"Nor have I," he replied, squinting against the sun to better see into her face.

"This is a beautiful coastline," she sighed, digging her toes into the wet sand under her feet, "I'll miss it when we're gone."

He tightened his grip on her hand, shrugging away the pain in his gut that rose up at the thought of leaving this place.

"We have eleven more days, let's not think about departing, okay?"

"I'm sorry," she said, smiling up at him, enjoying the sight of the wind whipping short tufts of hair about his head.

"Let's go back to the house, I'd like to investigate that theater room. I think we need to make tonight movie night."

She laughed, "I wondered how long it would take you to declare a movie night."

"It is acceptable to you?"

"Of course it is," she said, thinking to tell him that any night sitting next to him in a dark theater was acceptable to her. But she kept the thought to herself, not wanting to cause him more anxiety from the rapidly changing status of their relationship.

He'd confessed to her on their second day in Malibu that the events of their first night had perplexed him and he needed time to adjust his mind and body to the changes that had taken place between them. He'd been flustered and had difficultly expressing his vulnerability to her. She'd put him at ease by telling him he could take all the time he needed, she would wait for him to catch up with her.

Penny had backed off, suppressing her desire to forge a closer physical intimacy with him. She'd been happy just to be next to him, the two of them getting lost in long conversations about their childhoods and their hopes and dreams for the future.

They'd spent hours..._hours_...just kissing. He liked kissing, she could tell, and each day he improved, perfecting his technique, pulling her into heated sessions of kissing and making out, his hands skimming across her body, touching and learning her. Encouraging her to do the same to him.

She loved feeling him, his lips, the slow, lazy kisses he lavished on her, the tightness of his arms as they flexed when he touched her...the flat smoothness of this stomach when she would move her fingers over it, inciting chills across his flesh. She would drag her tongue just above the waistband of his shorts and marvel at the way his body responded, wishing like hell that he would free himself and succumb to his indisputable desire.

They both knew where this behavior would lead them, and she had to admit she enjoyed the slow buildup. The anticipation was killing her but he was able to keep her satisfied with his hands and fingers and friction generated by his arousal. The night before, he'd let her take him in her mouth and she'd watched in fascination as he'd come undone, urging her on, clinching her shoulders with his hands, hissing his appreciation as his release rolled over him.

"Penny?"

She snapped out of her thoughts of them and rolled her eyes towards him.

"Yeah?"

He smiled at her, "Where were you? Or need I ask?"

"You need not ask," she grinned, licking her lips seductively.

"I understand," he said, smiling at her, flushing pink when she reached to pinch his ass.

He grabbed her at her waist, pulling her near, close enough to be sure she could feel his manhood pressing against her, "We'll get there..._soon_," he promised and she knew his word was good.

"I'm waiting for you," she whispered hotly in his ear, nipping at his earlobe.

"I swear," he panted softly, "you won't be waiting much longer."

**~s/p~**

Raj felt the vibration of his phone and reached to pull it out of his pocket.

"Hello Amy," he said softly, wishing for the best where she was concerned. Always the optimist, he had hope for her and still believed she could redeem herself.

"Good afternoon Rajesh. I am calling to invite you to dinner at my place tonight," her voice monotone, getting straight to the point as she was wont to do.

"Sure," he smiled into the phone, "what time?"

"Be here at seven. See you then. Goodbye."

He laughed, lowering his phone to press the button that would end the connection. She was an odd bird, that Amy, and he was worried about the feelings for Sheldon she seemed to be unable to let go of. He hoped that maybe, somehow, she'd have a change of heart where Sheldon was concerned. He knew she was wrong to continue to insist on a relationship with Sheldon that Sheldon obviously didn't want, and Raj would always regret the part he and Howard had played in bringing them together. He acknowledged that he was wrong to have ever meddled in Sheldon's personal life.

Raj liked Amy and had decided that while Sheldon and Penny were using the summer to explore and sort their feelings, he would do the same to see if there was any possible depth to his and Amy's friendship. Besides, Sheldon had encourage him, insisting he pursue a romantic relationship with Amy, thus making it easier for him and Penny. Raj still didn't know how Sheldon intended to handle Leonard, or if he had any plan at all. But he thought highly of Sheldon and Penny and he'd do what he could to help.

He knocked, lifting the paper bag high to show her when she pulled the door open.

"Look, I brought strawberry wine coolers," he enthused.

"I was under the impression that you no longer needed the aid of alcohol to speak with the opposite sex, Rajesh."

He entered and she closed the door, motioning him to follow her to the kitchen.

"You are correct, I no longer need it. But I still want it," he laughed, "I love a good buzz and I know you do too."

She smiled at him, then reached into the bag and grabbed one of the cartons, removing two coolers and popping tops off both. She shoved one across the counter to him, then brought the other to her lips.

"I do indeed," she said, fighting off a carbonated induced belch.

"See, you hook up with me, forget about boring old Sheldon, and we can get drunk and party every night." He raised his eyebrows up and down and then blew an air kiss at her, "And I'll make sweet love to you each night too."

Amy chuckled, "As tempting as that offer is, I already informed you I will wait for Sheldon."

Raj sighed and turned to put the remaining coolers in the fridge.

"Well, I don't know why you insist on waiting around for 'ole Smelly Cooper when you could have sweet caramel covered love from me."

"Really, Raj? I invite you for dinner and you've been here less than five minutes and already you are on my back about Sheldon. Can you just let it go?"

"Well, I guess I could if I, as your friend, thought he was good for you. But I don't."

"Please Raj," she said softly, walking past him, moving to take a seat on the sofa.

He followed and sat close beside her.

"Look at us, Amy. We can talk and laugh and share things. We like a lot of the same stuff. We like dancing, and having a few drinks and being intimate...you can't get any of those things from Sheldon."

"I want him, Rajesh."

Raj moved closer to her, placing his hand gently on her knee, making slow circles with his thumb.

"Just give me a chance Amy," he locked eyes with her, watched as her chin quivered, "Let me make love to you, then we can discuss everything else."

**~s/p~**

In a small cabin on a large ship somewhere in the North Sea, Leonard Hofstadter pressed his mouth into the warm neck of the woman beneath him.

"God, you are great. Thank you," he whispered.

She laughed softly, "I've told you that you don't have to thank me every time."

"Got it," he sighed, contentment settling in.

"So what _is _this?" she asked cautiously.

"What?" he feigned ignorance.

"Us," she said, poking a finger into his ribcage.

He rolled off of her, lying on his back, staring up at the low ceiling just above them.

"I don't know. What do you want it to be?"

"Well," she said hesitantly, "I want it to be mutual, whatever it is. I won't play second fiddle to anyone."

"Come on," he said in a low voice, fighting back encroaching sleep, "you know I wouldn't put you in that position."

"Wouldn't you?" she laughed.

"It's just...she and I...we have a long history," his voice tapered off, he could feel his mind shutting down for the night.

"When we get back to Pasadena in the fall...," she started, then stopped when she heard the beginning of slumber taking hold of him, his nose wheezing with impending snores.

Alex stretched across her lover and turned off the light.

**~s/p~**

"Look," Sheldon said reverently, his tone was solemn as he pulled a pair of French doors open and revealed a room stocked floor to ceiling with the most impressive movie collection he'd ever seen.

"Wow, that's a lot."

He turned to her, his face twisted in dismay at her lackadaisical response to his discovery.

"Penny," he said flatly, "do you realize what this is?"

"Uh, I don't know. Lots of movies?"

"Lots of movies? Really Penny? Look, this is the most extensive and complete collection I have ever had the pleasure to view. Everything one could ever want is right here in the room."

She sidled up to him and grinned, "Including me?"

"Especially you," he said softly, leaning back against her as she moved in behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as his eyes scanned row after row of meticulously place DVDs and Blu-rays.

"Pick one," she said seductively, easing her hands across his hips, her fingers plucking at his belt buckle.

He place his hands atop hers, slowing her fingers, "Is that an indication I should choose a movie that I've already viewed? Are you planning on being a distraction?"

"Only if you want me to," she teased.

"Do you have a preference?"

"Um, I prefer to sit in your lap while we watch."

"Penny..."

She released him and sighed, "Pick one and I'll sit next to you. I know how much you are loving this, and that screen out there is huge. It'll be like being in our own private movie theater and not having to worry about somebody walking in on us. Too bad my boyfriend isn't interested in taking advantage of _that_."

"Your _boyfriend_?"

He'd turned now to face her, mystified by her word choice.

"I, well, I just thought...um...sorry?"

She took a step back, silently cursing herself for crossing a line they had not yet breached.

Cramming his hands in his pockets, he dropped his gaze to the floor before speaking.

"Don't apologize," his voice almost a whisper, "I don't want you to apologize."

"No, I need to. We haven't discussed that and it's wrong of me to just, I don't know, make assumptions. I think it was just...maybe just...wishful thinking or something. I'm sorry. I know you aren't ready...you aren't sure...we don't even know..."

She'd stepped further from him now, nearing the door, her eyes darting towards the hallway.

"Come back over here, Penny."

"Listen Sheldon," she said, her voice so quiet he had to engage his Vulcan hearing, "I have no expectations. We said we were going to see if there was anything between us, but I'm not fooling myself. There's no doubt we having feelings for each other, but I'm not as smart as Bernadette or Amy. I'm just an uneducated waitress, I'd only end up embarrassing you. I'm not the kind of girl a man like you keeps in his life, not permanently anyway. This summer is great, and we are making the best of it, but I know when fall comes, when Leonard is back, when you and Amy start spending more time together...well...God...I shouldn't have said _boyfriend_. I know this is nothing more than a summer fling, I get it."

"Penny."

"No, really...I just...I got caught up in the moment, okay? I'm sorry."

"I'm standing here, Penny, watching you...falling so hopelessly in love with you...and you say this is just a summer fling? You place such little value on these days we've been here in Malibu? All that we've done prior to arriving here, everything we've shared?"

"I...," she tilted her head as if to study his expression, a mixture of desperation and desire, "I just...wait...you _love_ me?"

"I do."

"And when were you planning on telling me?"

"Well, _now_ seemed like a good time."

She sighed and shook her head, "Sheldon..."

"Come here," he demanded, though his words broke with emotion.

Penny watched him, lanky and unsure, hands crammed in his pockets, shoulders slightly slumped forward, uncertainty written across his face, blue eyes blazing, standing before her desperately out of his comfort zone...she had no choice but to go to him.

"I love you too," she spoke with warmth, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I know," he said, his voice stronger now that she was back in his arms.

She smiled up at him, "Now there's the confident Doctor Cooper I know and love."

He began kissing her, gently at first, each touch of his lips growing more frantic. She trembled as he moved his mouth along her neck, his tongue licking into the shell of her ear, followed by a warm puff of air, his forehead coming to rest on her shoulder.

"I want you, all of you, in every way. _Now_," he said so simply that her only response was to lower herself, pulling him with her to the floor.

"Sheldon, are you sure?"

"Penny, I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

She was under him, skin pressing skin, as he moved inside her, his arms curled around her, protecting her from the floor. Her teeth nipped at his shoulders, her nails breaking the flesh of his back, leaving crimson evidence of their passion. His mouth went to her chest, moving from mound to mound, taking her higher, each of them lost in the intensity of their actions.

This was a man in love, making love, to a woman he cherished and wanted and needed. It was their first sexual encounter in which he felt no desire to use vulgarities. He felt a primitive urge to protect her and keep her and provide for her every need. Again he wished for time to stop at this precise moment, to freeze, forever locking them here in this space.

Penny knew this was more than an act of sexual release. This was so much bigger. She was giving this man things she'd held onto, not ever revealing or sharing with another living soul. He was whispering now, "I love you, I love you, I love you," over and over in her ear and she responded likewise. There were no other words, no other thoughts, encapsulated in their emotions, nothing else existed in the universe.

She released a deep and low moan when she climaxed, his name riding the waves of her breath, causing him to tremble, reaching his own climax, sputtering gasps of air carrying her name across her skin where his mouth pressed softly against smooth flesh.

Sprawled on the floor, surrounded by his favorite writers and directors and actors and stories, with Penny by his side, he was sure there would never be another instance in his life to rival this one.

Penny rolled over to face him, dropping her hand onto his abdomen, her fingers tracing abstract figures across his stomach.

"I love your body," she sighed, lowering her mouth to move her lips across his chest, light tracings of hair tickling her face.

"And I yours," he said, cupping a breast in the palm of his hand, smoothing a thumb over the nipple, marveling as it hardened under his touch.

"Why here, Sheldon? Why now?" she had to know what had prompted his first act of complete intimacy, giving himself over to her.

He smiled and gestured upwards, "I told you, everything I could ever want is right here in this room..._you_, Star Wars, _you_, The Avengers, _you_, Star Trek,_ you_, Indiana Jones, _you._..need I continue?"

She laughed, "I think I get it now."

He cleared his throat, a slight blush crept across his face, "Where better to lose my virginity than here amongst the greats?"

"Touché," she conceded, because really, who could possibly argue with that logic?


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

For the first time in her life, Amy Farrah Fowler awoke to find a soft, warm body pressed next to hers. She took a moment to gather her bearings, rubbing a hand across her eyes to wipe the sleep away. Slowly turning, her vision blurry since she didn't yet know the whereabouts of her glasses, she squinted at the man beside her. There was no mistaking the mass of thick, dark hair that rested on the pillow next to her.

"Rajesh?"

He stirred, rolling onto his back and stretching, his eyes still pressed shut, falling back into a restful slumber.

"Raj!"

Her voice was louder, more stern, carrying the authority of a Drill Sergeant. He startled, eyes flying open, bringing his body to an upright position.

"Amy? Why are you yelling at me?"

She quickly got to her feet.

"Where are my glasses?"

"Last I remember seeing them, we were on your sofa and you jerked them off and flung them across the room. That was right before you removed my pants."

"Oh God."

"It was a beautiful moment," he said softly, "one I'll remember for the rest of my life."

Amy rolled her eyes and stumbled her way into the living room, searching frantically until finally locating her glasses. She put them on, then stormed back to her bedroom.

"You have to go," she said, her tone sharp and demanding.

"But why?" Raj asked, on his feet and fumbling for his underwear.

"You got me drunk and then took advantage of me."

"What? No, it was the other way around. It was _you_ who got me drunk and took advantage of _me_."

"Rajesh Koothrappali, I would never do this. You wanted me and you took me."

"Amy," he said, lifting his eyebrows and moving around the bed to face her, "who are you trying to convince, me or _yourself_?"

Realizing she was unclothed, she snatched a pillow from the bed and held it in front of her.

"Just go, Raj. Please."

"No, not like this. We need to talk about last night. I'm going to get dressed first. But think about this Amy, do you have a raging headache? A hangover? I doubt it, because you weren't drunk. You only had one strawberry wine cooler and then..."

She sniffed, "I get it...I remember. Just please, go get dressed."

**~s/p~**

Penny woke to the sound of waves crashing against the shore outside her bedroom window. The feel of Sheldon's face against the back of her neck, his rhythmic breathing ushering warm puffs of air across her skin, sent her mind reeling back to the night before. After giving himself to her, and her to him, they'd finally found their way upstairs and she'd led him to her bed. She had been concerned that he might resist, citing his 'no one can be in my room' policy, and making an addendum that stated he could not sleep in anyone else's bed. But she had pulled him in for a long, seductive kiss, backing her way into her bedroom, whispering to him the things she'd like to do to him...things she'd like him to do to her...and he'd willingly followed her, and complied with her every desire. And she too had satisfied his every wish. Many hours later, in the dead of the night, both bodies spent from hours of sexual exploits, they'd drifted off into the deepest of blissful REM sleep.

"Penny?"

His lips stroked her neck as he spoke.

"Yes?"

"I'm in bed with you. I've never woken in bed with a woman next to me."

She wiggled her ass, pressing back towards him and laughed.

"Well, if what I'm feeling back there is any indication, I think you are pretty happy to wake up next to me."

"My apologies," he said, quickly scooting away from her, unsure of morning protocol after having had sex the night before.

Penny rolled towards him and reached to caress his naked body.

"Sheldon, after all we did last night, you certainly shouldn't be embarrassed, nor should you be apologizing. It was the most amazing night of my life."

"Mine as well," he said with a relieved sigh.

"So, no regrets?"

He rolled to his side, putting them face to face.

"None," he said, pressing the back of his hand against her cheek, "you were magnificent."

She scooted closer to kiss him, a slow, languid kind of kiss that caused him to drop his hands from her body to his manhood, worried she might think him insatiable.

"You okay?" she asked, finally breaking the kiss and coming up for air.

"I'm sore...all over...I feel like I ran a marathon. Is that normal?" he asked.

"If you're lucky it is."

He smiled at her, "Then I am extremely lucky."

She laughed, "Me too."

"Penny?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it wrong, I mean, after all we did last night, to want you again?"

She smiled and lifted a hand to comb her fingers through his hair.

"Nope. That's normal too."

Sheldon reached to pull her to him, no longer concerned with hiding his desire. He sighed contentedly when she took him in her hands and began to slowly stroke him before finally encouraging him to roll on top of her, guiding him to her entrance. He moved slower this time, more sure of himself, and sighed deeply as he brought her to orgasm, then increasing his motion to reach his own climax.

They lay side by side, content in the afterglow, holding hands and listening to the roar of the ocean just beyond them.

"I can't believe what I've denied myself, what I've been missing, all these years," he said in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, sex is pretty great, huh?"

He pushed up on his elbows and brought his face even with hers.

"Penny, I was not speaking of sex, but of _you_."

**~s/p~**

Leonard Hofstadter peered over the edge of the clipboard he'd been using for notes. He found himself unable to concentrate on the groupthink that was taking place around the conference table where he was seated. Instead, and frustratingly so, his mind was in Pasadena. He'd called Penny's apartment and his own several times in the past few days and no one had answered. He'd called her and Sheldon's cells as well with the same result.

Ship to shore communication was sketchy at best, so he had not been alarmed at first. But then he'd received a cryptic text from Wolowitz, something about Sheldon and Penny both being MIA, and he'd immediately felt a sense of worry...followed closely by a sense of WTF...and had since been making all efforts to reach his girlfriend (ex, he reminded himself) and/or his roommate.

A sly smile crept across his face as he thought about the previous few nights spent sharing his bunk with Alex. He'd initially been perplexed upon learning of the presence of Sheldon's assistant on the ship, but after she'd engaged in a slow teasing pursuit of him on the first day out to sea, he'd been pleased that she was there. After a few days of increasing flirtatious behavior on both their parts, she'd ended up in his room, in his pants, in his bed, and he'd not looked back. Until, that is, he began having suspicious thoughts about Penny and Sheldon.

He had mentally kicked himself since that night he'd asked Penny to keep an eye on his roommate while he was away at sea. It has seemed innocent at first, asking her to take care of Sheldon while he was gone. Sheldon required so much attention; food, transportation, entertainment, not to mention personal needs such as haircuts, clothing and generally relating to other people.

He felt he'd been doing his best friend a favor, asking Penny to look in on him from time to time. He'd only begun to doubt his decision after watching the two of them together during his going away party. He'd been speaking with Bernadette and Howard in the kitchen but had watched over Bernadette's shoulder as Sheldon and Penny talked together on the other side of the room. Not only did they appear lost in deep...and very private...conversation, but the smiles and light touches exchanged between the two of them began to nag at him. Amy had cornered him later and ask if he knew what was going on between Sheldon and Penny, but Leonard, ever the doubter of Sheldon's appeal to the opposite sex, had laughed her off, assuring Amy that it was nothing more than two long time friends chatting at a party. No big deal.

Just a few hours later, Penny had informed him that they needed to 'take a break' while he was away. She had cited his need for freedom on the ship, that she didn't want him feeling guilty were he to find himself interested in any lady scientists he might encounter. He'd been touched by her understanding, she was well aware of his sexual appetite, and he appreciated it. It was only now, with a missing Penny and Sheldon that he was having second thoughts.

"Hello?"

"Hey Howard," he said breathlessly, looking around to assure his privacy.

"Leonard! How's the research going? Proven any big theories yet? You the next Nobel winner? Boy that would really get Sheldon's goat, huh?"

"Listen, Howard, I only have a second. These lines are bad and I could lose this connection any minute.

"Understood...go ahead."

"Well, I wanted to know about that text message you sent earlier. Saying Penny and Sheldon were both MIA. What the hell does that mean?"

"MIA, come on Leonard, Missing In Action."

Leonard sighed into the phone, "No Howard, I know what MIA means...I mean, what's up with that? Have you seen either of them since you sent that message? Have you checked with Bernadette or Amy? They probably know where Penny is. And Raj...what about Raj? He will know where Sheldon is."

He heard Howard chuckle, "Ah, do I detect a hint of concern? Worried your asexual, praying mantis of a roommate has run off with your girlfriend...wait, your _ex_-girlfriend?"

"God no," Leonard huffed, "I'm just worried. More about Sheldon than Penny. She could be off on a trip with her girlfriends from work. But Sheldon, who knows with him. He could be passed out at the bottom of a pile of markers and whiteboards on the floor of the apartment, stuck again on whatever equation he's unable to solve. You remember last time."

"What the hell do you care? Aren't you still hooking up with Alex? You still hitting that?"

"God, you make it sound so nasty."

"Well, it _should_ be nasty if you're doing it right," Howard said in his most smarmy of voices, one he rarely got to use anymore since becoming a married man.

"Listen, Howard, I swore you to secrecy about that. You haven't told anyone about Alex have you? Not even Bernadette, because you know she would tell Penny."

"I got your back, brother. No worries, what happens on the Hawking Expedition, stays on the Hawking Expedition."

"Thanks Howard. And yeah," Leonard laughed, tossing a glance over his shoulder, "we _are_ getting pretty nasty."

Howard sighed, "Ah, to be a single man again...enjoy it while you can, my friend."

"I intend to."

"Damn man, so what happens when you get back to Pasadena?"

"Well, you know, I'll end up hooking back up with Penny, she's my future. Everybody already knows _that_. I asked her to marry me awhile back. I'm thinking her being away from me for the summer is going to show her how much she loves and misses me and can't live without me. We'll be back together within a month after I return."

"And Alex?

Leonard grinned into the phone, "She's a great fuck."

"Messaged received," Howard sighed, a hint of jealously in his voice.

"So, anyway, I need to go. Just find out where Penny and Sheldon are and get back to me, okay?"

"Will do."

**~s/p~**

Raj sunk deep into the pillows of the sofa, his eyes wide and his heart pounding.

"It was my first time," Amy said softly, batting back her tears.

"I see," he spoke kindly and reached to hold her hand.

"I wanted Sheldon to be my first."

Raj wasn't sure how to take this, if he should be insulted or not.

"Uh, sorry?"

She turned a confused face to him, "Don't be. Had I waited on him, I might very well still be a virgin when I hit menopause."

Raj laughed, "Yeah. Well, I hope I didn't disappoint?"

"Well," she said slowly, as if replaying the scene in her mind, causing him to hold his breath at the coming critique of his performance, "I'm glad I had that one wine cooler, as the first time was a little scary and painful."

"And the second time?" he asked with hesitancy.

She grinned at him, "It was great."

Raj returned her smile, "So...where does that leave us? Where do we stand?"

"Well, I am aware of Sheldon's current dalliance with Penny. I don't like it, but I understand the necessity of it. I've known since our first date that there was something between them. The way they looked at each other across the table, the way they communicated, their words playing off each other. I remember sitting there wondering why Sheldon was trying to date me when it was quite obvious he should be with Penny. I've watched them for almost three years."

"Six years for me," Raj added for effect.

"Yes," she said, rolling her eyes, wishing it weren't true. "I need to be honest with you, Rajesh. While I enjoyed our, uh, roll in the hay, and wish to partake of more, I still have every intention of resuming my relationship with Sheldon when Leonard returns in the fall."

"Have you spoken with Sheldon about any of this? About you and him? Or him and Penny? How do you even know they are together?"'

"A woman knows, Raj. No, I've not spoken to him, nor have I discussed this with Penny. I don't know if they are sleeping together or not, but I suspect as much. I've told you before, I'll give them their space. But not for long."

Raj considered telling her about their rooftop date, about their current vacation in Malibu, but he was't convinced it was the best thing for any of them. Besides, Sheldon had confided in him and that was one confidence he didn't want to break. Sure, he and Sheldon had had their differences over the years, but were it not for Sheldon giving him a job a few years ago, Raj knew he'd be back in India now. He'd always be grateful to Sheldon for that.

"So," he said, dragging his hand though his hair, "I'm just your boy toy?"

Amy moved closer to him, mustering her courage and scooting onto his lap.

"Yes. And I really need you to take me back to bed immediately. Like now," she said, dropping her mouth to his and he complied, though he wasn't so sure how he felt about being her summertime entertainment.

**~s/p~**

Raj's phone rang just as he was entering his apartment.

"Hello Howard," he said, pushing the door shut with his foot and tossing his keys on the table.

"Hey Raj, got a minute?"

"You know I always have a minute for you."

Howard sighed into the phone, "Yeah...uh, so where have you been? I tried calling earlier."

Raj wondered if he should tell Howard about Amy. His first inclination was to share the news with his best friend. He'd love to be able to discuss this with Howard, get his advice, but he had learned that anything he told Howard would go directly to Bernadette and from there, the grapevine would run straight to Penny and Sheldon. Amy had asked him to keep their situation private and he had made a promise to her that he intended to keep.

"Oh, just out running errands, the usual. What are you up to? Want to get together later?"

"How I wish I could. We're having dinner with Bernadette's parents tonight, no getting out of that."

Raj made a face and rolled his eyes, "So what do you want Howard?"

"Well, I was wondering if you knew where Sheldon is? I know Gablehauser forced him to take his vacation days, but I've been by the apartment a few times and he's never there. And the weird thing is, Penny seems to be missing too. Bernadette and I went to the Cheesecake Factory last night and they told us she took off work for two weeks. I was just wondering what was going on."

Raj thought about what Howard was saying. He'd known Howard Wolowitz for many years and one thing he was certain of was that Howard could not care less where either of those two people were. It didn't take him long to figure out what was going on.

"Dude, just say the truth. You are asking for Leonard, aren't you?"

"What?"

"Come on Howard, we are better friends than this. Since when did Leonard become your BFF?"

"BFF? What are we, in kindergarten? Come on Raj."

"No, you come on. Just admit it Howard. You are asking for Leonard. _He_ is the one who wants to know where Penny and Sheldon are doesn't he?"

"Okay," Howard said reluctantly, "you got me. I talked to Leonard on the phone and he was a little concerned that he couldn't reach either one of them. It's really no big deal, he just wants to make sure everything is okay."

Raj slowly sat down at his kitchen table, resting his elbows on the surface and shaking his head, muttering, "Unbelievable."

"What?"

"You. And Leonard. Unbelievable. I know Leonard is already hooking up with some girl on the ship, why does he care what Penny is doing? And I told him before he left I'd check in on Sheldon."

"Listen Raj, you know the deal with Leonard and Penny. The only reason they are taking a break is so Leonard could be free on the ship, in case, you know, he found someone he wanted to hook up with. If you think about it, it was pretty cool of Penny."

"Yeah, it's all about Leonard, isn't it? They broke up in case _he_ wanted to hook up. So what is he expecting Penny to do? Sit around baking cookies and waiting on him to get home? Why's he keeping tabs on her?"

"God, I don't know. And if I'd known you were going to give me the third degree and go all female on me, I wouldn't have called."

"Listen Howard, Leonard is notorious with the ladies, you know that. I just, I don't know, I've had time to think about him and Penny and well, I'm her friend too and I just think she deserves to be left alone for the summer just as much as he does. She's not calling around checking up on him."

"Hey, you know the deal, bros before hos, Raj."

"Oh, so you're calling Penny,_ our friend_, a ho?"

"No, no I'm not. It just sounds to me like you are being a bit hard on Leonard. I was trying to defend him."

"Look, Howard, just look at all the women over the years, Leslie Winkle, that old lady that gave money to the school, Doctor Stephanie, who by the way he stole right out from under you. Oh, and Elizabeth Plimpton, and the dead hooker girl..."

"Alicia, her name was Alicia...and Leonard never got to hit that."

"Yeah, well he would have if he could. And so many more. And worst of all? My sister Pryia. My parents still aren't over that one yet. And, also, let's not forget Sheldon's sister Missy. Leonard would have slept with her too if she'd have let him."

"Ah, that's all water under the bridge, Raj."

"To you maybe. You don't have a sister. But I bet if you did, Leonard would have slept with her too."

Howard closed his eyes and shook his head. He knew Raj was right, and though he'd never admit it to anyone, the thing with Stephanie still pissed him off when he thought about it.

"Listen Raj, I'm just trying to help him out. I really don't give a damn where Sheldon or Penny are."

"Well, when you talk to him, you can tell him I don't know either. I do talk to Sheldon every day and he is fine. So if that is what Leonard is truly concerned about, tell him Sheldon is fine."

"And Penny?"

"I haven't spoken with Penny, but I'm sure she is fine. He needs to leave her alone."

"Alright, Raj, I'm just going to break this down, get right to the point, because honestly, this is boring me stiff. Are those two together? Is there something going on between them?"

"Howard, how about this. How about you making a choice right here and now. Who's your best friend, Leonard or me?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Where does your loyalty lie when it comes down between Leonard and me?"

"Come on, Raj."

"No, you come on. Who is it Howard?"

"You know it's you," Howard said softly.

"Good. Then forget about this. Next time you talk to Leonard, you tell him nothing is going on here. Penny if somewhere with her girlfriends and Sheldon is just being Sheldon, lost in his work, stuck, whatever, that's why he's not answering the phone. You tell Leonard I speak with Sheldon every day and he is just fine. Got it?"

"Yeah, got it. Honestly, that is fine with me. I want nothing to do with any of this mess."

"You and me both, brother, you and me both."

"And Raj?"

"Yeah?"

"For the record, if I had a sister, I wouldn't let Leonard Hofstadter anywhere near her."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks for the great comments, I'm so happy you guys like the story. Your enjoyment keeps me motivated! Here are the next two chapters, have fun!**

CHAPTER 12

"Hey Babe," Penny whispered softly whilst sweeping her fingers through his hair, lingering longer than necessary.

"Good morning," Sheldon sighed contentedly, now fully accustomed to her presence when he woke each morning.

"I still can't believe this is us."

"Mmmmm..."

Sheldon closed his eyes, getting lost in her touch.

"I don't want to ever leave Malibu. I'm scared to go back to Pasadena."

"I don't understand. Why are you afraid of returning to Pasadena?"

"Look at us, Sheldon. Everything is perfect here, this house, this beach, us...everything...it's almost like a dream. It's like, it's too perfect, like if we blink we'll lose it all."

"While we won't have a mansion to reside in when we return home, we will still be us. Nothing can change that."

"Sheldon, have you forgotten about Leonard and Amy?"

"I'm trying to," he sighed, sitting up in the bed and leaning against the headboard.

"You know it won't be that easy. Leonard will be back in a couple of months and Amy...God, who knows about Amy...the only thing I am sure of is that she will not give up on you. She wants you, she's got this five year plan that leads to you guys getting married and you know she will not give up. She's like a dog with a bone."

He pulled her next to him and laughed, "Do I detect a hint of jealously?"

She rolled her eyes, "Well, are you looking forward to Leonard's return?"

"No. It's going to kill me to see him looking at you, attempting to resume your relationship."

"So what are we going to do?"

"Well," he said thoughtfully, pulling her onto him, "right now I am going to kiss you with everything I have, then I'm going to hope that you want me as badly as I want you. When we finally do get out of this bed, we'll go have breakfast...it's French toast day, you know...then we'll go into town for a few items. Most importantly, I will not be spending our remaining days in Malibu thinking about Leonard or Amy. I would suggest you do the same."

**~s/p~**

Howard felt bad lying to Leonard, but when given an ultimatum to choose between Leonard or Raj, Raj would win hands down every time.

"Nope, that's it Leonard. Penny is at some beach with her girlfriends and Sheldon is just, well, just being Sheldon. Raj talks to him everyday. He's just not taking your calls because he's still pissed that it's you on the Hawking expedition and not him."

Leonard grinned and waved when he spotted Alex across the dining hall while pressing the phone between his shoulder and ear.

"Great! That's all I needed to know. And hey, Howard, you aren't going to tell anyone about Alex and me are you?"

"Leonard, I don't have a horse in the race buddy. As long as you aren't trying to hook up with Bernadette I couldn't care less who you are bedding."

Leonard laughed, "Come on Howard, I know that Bernadette is off limits, no worries. Well, since the mystery of Sheldon and Penny is solved, I gotta go. Bye!"

Howard turned his phone off, muttering under his breath, "Yeah, like Bernadette would give you the time of day."

He shuddered at the thought of Hofstadter getting near his Bernie. Then he scrolled though his phone until he found his best friend's number.

"Hey Howard!"

"I took care of Leonard," he said, wasting no time in getting right to the point. He wanted nothing more to do with this charade.

"So he won't be calling anymore, trying to keep tabs on Penny?"

"No, he's got plenty to do on the ship. Pretty busy and all, you know."

"Yeah, pretty busy with some unsuspecting girl."

"Come on Raj, just drop it okay?"

"Okay but, whoever she is, I feel sorry for her brother."

**~s/p~**

"Really Penny?"

His eyebrows raised high in protest.

"Really, Sheldon," she grinned at him, dangling the keyring on the tip of her finger.

"But you know I don't drive."

She nudge him in the ribs with her elbow then sprinted around to the passenger side of her car.

"You drove for me once."

"Well," he huffed, glaring at her, watching as she got in on what was usually his side, "that was an extreme emergency. You needed a hero."

"Yeah well, be my hero now. You have your permit and besides I want to look out the window while you drive. If I'm driving I have to pay attention to the road."

"Yes well, if I'm to drive, you still better pay attention to the road."

He somehow managed to get them into town, her teasing him unmercifully the entire route, everything from heroes and peeking to seductively running her hand along the insides of his thighs.

"Woman!" he hissed, finally pulling into a parking space.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You're exasperating," he sighed, turning the car off and tossing the keys to her. "You're driving back."

"Deal!" she laughed as she hopped out of the car. "Come on, sexy driver!"

"Penny, need I remind you we are in public?"

"Nope! I want everybody to know you are mine."

"Yes, well, can we maintain some semblance of dignity?"

"Nah, dignity is boring. I'll take crazy, it's much more fun."

"Well, then, I suppose you will be disappointed to learn that I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested."

"You don't say?" she smiled, taking his hand in hers and leading him into the grocery store.

They spent far longer at the market than they'd anticipated, strolling aimlessly down the aisles, debating food and nutrition and which of them was the better cook. Sheldon was surprised at how relaxed he felt performing such a domestic task with Penny.

"Whatcha thinking about over there, Texas?" she asked while studying the label on a jar of spaghetti sauce. He made a mental note of how she'd taken to referring to him as 'Texas' and realized he enjoyed the intimacy of her calling him by the name of his home state.

He glanced quickly at her, then grabbed a package of pasta from the shelf.

"Just trying to decide between thin or regular noodles," he said, feigning interest in the box.

"Annnd?" she pushed because she knew there was more.

He sighed, "I was just thinking how..._comfortable_...this is. How comfortable _we_ are."

"Me too," she whispered, pushing up on her toes to kiss his blushing cheek.

"And how I can't wait to be alone with you tonight," he added now that he was exposing his feelings to her.

"Mmmm, me too."

"So can we go now?" he asked, tossing both packages in the cart, then taking the sauce from her and placing it next to the pasta.

"Yep," she said, sliding her hand under his shirt, teasing his back with her nails.

"Good Lord, you are going to be the death of me Penny."

"Let's go," she said, grasping a handful of his shirt and tugging him towards the checkout line.

"You're driving," he reminded her, as if she could have forgotten.

They were loading bags into her car when he felt the vibration of his phone.

"Yes?" he answered, passing a bag to Penny.

"Hello Doctor Cooper. How goes Malibu?"

"Doctor Gablehauser?"

"Yes, just calling to check in with you, see how things are going there. Is the house still standing? Remember, the Stewarts are some of the university's biggest donors, don't do anything to screw this up."

"All is fine here, Doctor Gablehauser. I must admit, this has been a remarkable vacation. While you know I hate to be away from the university for any length of time, I'm pleased that you insisted I take this trip."

"I see, so things are going well with the blonde, huh?"

Sheldon cleared his throat and watched as Penny waved towards him and crawled into her car, thankfully on the driver's side.

"Doctor Galbehauser, while I appreciate your interest in my personal life, I would prefer it remain personal and not discuss it with you."

"Understood," Gablehauser relented. "Have you by chance heard anything from Doctor Hofstadter lately?"

Sheldon sighed and leaned against the car, "No, not a word. But I've kept the phone off most of the time since we've been here in Malibu. I just turned it on today because we are out running errands. I did note that I have a few missed calls from him. I don't intend to return them."

Gablehauser laughed, "Can't say that I blame you, I'm sure you uh, have your hands full, as it is."

Sheldon didn't care much for Gablehauser's comment, but he chose to let it go.

"So, is that it? I would like to end this call now."

Gablehauser laughed, "Ah, Doctor Cooper, always the blunt one. Well, yes, I'll let you go. Enjoy the few remaining days you have in Malibu."

"I shall."

"Oh, and Doctor Cooper?"

"Yes?"

"I spoke with my contact on the ship last night. You will be pleased to know that, just as we suspected, Doctor Hofstadter took the bait."

Sheldon dropped his eyes to Penny and smiled at her when she stuck her tongue out at him and motioned for him to hurry up.

"Alex?"

"Yep."

"He always did have eyes for her."

"Well, apparently it's mutual. She's staying in his room most nights."

"I knew it," Sheldon said, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"Listen, Sheldon," Gablehauser said, dropping the formalities, "I only went along with this plan of yours because, well, I'm hoping your mother will give me another chance. I got Hofstadter and your assistant on that boat, now don't forget to hold up your end of the deal. Call your mother for me."

Sheldon cleared his throat, "I thought you were spending the summer with that grad student, Gablehauser."

The older man sighed, "No, no. I intended to, she was willing, but I'm too old for that. I went on one date with her and it was like I was out with my daughter. The younger chicks aren't for me anymore. I want a mature woman, a woman with some experience and maturity, someone who remembers where she was when President Reagan was shot, someone who doesn't give a damn what Kim Kardashian names her baby."

"I can't take a chance on your hurting my mom, Gablehauser."

"I won't, I swear. We always have a great time when she's in town, you know that. I was a fool not to pursue a deeper relationship with her."

"But she's in Texas."

"Yeah, well, there are many outstanding universities in Texas."

"You would move for her?"

"I would if she asked me."

"I will call her when I return to Pasadena. I am not letting anything interfere with my time here in Malibu."

"I understand. I'm really happy things are working out for you with your girl."

Sheldon smiled. His girl. Penny was _his_ girl. He liked it.

"Thank you. And also," Sheldon stumbled on his words, he wasn't accustomed to expressing gratitude but he felt it was warranted, "thank you Doctor Gablehauser for helping me with this situation. And for Malibu. Malibu is beautiful in so many ways."

Penny had rolled her window down now. Sheldon reached in through the window and took her hand, lifting it to his mouth and dropping a light kiss on her wrist.

Gablehauser smiled into the phone, pleased that the great Doctor Sheldon Cooper's heart appeared to be melting a bit, exposing him as a warm blooded human after all.

"Very well. I will speak to you when you return to Pasadena. Enjoy your remaining days in Malibu."

"I intend to," Sheldon said, trying not to make a sound when Penny grabbed his backside and gave him a quick squeeze.

He turned his phone off, then twisted around, bending down to lean his head in the window of the car, bringing his face close to hers.

"What was that, Penny?" he said, his lips quirking upwards at the corners.

"Um, that was my nonverbal way of saying you have a great ass. Now get that sexy butt of yours in the car and lets go home."

**~s/p~**

"Fuck," Raj grunted, pulling Amy's back against his chest, driving into her more forcefully.

"So good," Amy moaned, taking his hand and leading it to her heat.

"Tell me how much you like it," he growled before dragging his mouth across her shoulder.

"Better than human brains, cadavers, and a jungle full of monkeys," she huffed out, reaching back to slide her hand around his neck.

"You're hotter than all the stars in the sky," he whispered.

"Umm, so good...just...yeah...just shut up and fuck me," she said, bucking back into him.

Raj obeyed his new lover, and soon brought her, and himself, to a satisfying climax.

"You continue to amaze me, Rajesh," Amy said as they lay in the silence of her bedroom.

"It is great, isn't it? You and me, I mean. I think..." he trailed off, worried that his words would cause her to banish him from her bed.

Rolling to her side to face him, she pressed her body closer, watching and releasing a soft sigh when he reached to cup her breast.

"You think what?" she prodded him.

Turning to her, he sucked in a deep breath and gave himself permission to be honest.

"I think this...we...could really be something Amy. We're so good together, and not just in bed."

"I told you," she said, pulling away and pushing herself up to sit, leaning her back against the headboard, "this is just sex and nothing more. You know I want Sheldon, Raj. I've not lied to you."

Raj sat up, slinging his feet around to the floor and reaching for his clothing, "Yes, you did tell me. I'm just your boy toy. But can you honestly tell me you don't feel something more for me when we are like this?"

"I want Sheldon, Raj."

"Yeah, and where is Sheldon? Do you see him here? Have you _ever_ seen him here in your _bedroom_?"

"I'll get him here, I can assure you."

Raj took a deep breath and stood, stepping into his pants and yanking them up, "I wouldn't be so sure, Amy. You've had years. And you know what? Even if you do somehow manage to trick him here, get him drunk or use some sort of mental manipulation, is that really how you want him? Shouldn't you want a man that wants you? A man that you don't have to manipulate into your bed? It's been years, Amy, _years_, even if you do manage to get him here it will be a shallow victory."

"Raj..."

"You said you think he's with Penny, that you have suspected for years that the two of them had unspoken and unresolved feelings for each other. Do you really want to be second place to Penny? Do you want to the be girl Sheldon ends up with because he was too scared or stupid to work things out with the woman her really wants, the woman you and I both know he was meant to be with?"

"Raj, please, just come back to bed," she whispered.

"No, I'm no woman's plaything. Not anymore. I care for you Amy, I really do. And I'd like to see where we can take this, if there really is something here for us to build on. But I will not play second fiddle to Sheldon."

"Then go," she said, rolling over to turn her back to him. She lay still until she heard the slamming of her apartment door.

Amy rose quietly from the bed and pulled on her bathrobe. She made her way to the kitchen and poured a glass of Mountain Dew. It only took one sip to remind her that she didn't even like the sticky, sweet beverage. She only kept them on hand for when Sheldon was visiting. She dumped the yellow liquid down the drain and then grabbed the larger bottle and stood on shaky legs as she watched it swirl down into the kitchen sink.

She turned to open the refrigerator and began to remove items that reminded her of her (ex)boyfriend. Little hot dogs, which she hated, strawberry quick, Yahoo (ridiculous). She began piling items on her kitchen counter, moving into her living room area and collecting games and videos and comic books and action figures, all things she had purchased and placed around her apartment in an effort to entice Sheldon to want to be there, to mentally manipulate him into spending time with her.

"None of this is me," she growled, slinging a video game against the wall, watching as it crashed to the floor, the plastic case shattering into a million tiny pieces. It was then that she realized she'd lost herself, buried her own identity, in Sheldon.

Her mind raced back though the years, picturing Sheldon's apartment and trying to conjure images of any items he'd purchased that were of interest to her, or changes he'd made in his own life to accommodate her likes and hobbies.

Nothing. She came up with nothing. The closest he'd come to including her in his life was when he'd listed her as his emergency contact at work. But if she were honest with herself, she knew he'd only done it because Leonard was getting tired of all the bothersome calls that were now her burden. Sheldon had not done that for her, but for himself. He needed someone, _anyone_, to be there at his beck and call. And she'd fallen for his phony gift. She realized for the first time that she'd been so desperate for any attention from him that she had settled for something so insignificant that it hardly even registered. She'd tried to give everything to him and he in return had barely given her the time of day.

She began to fill a large box with the items she'd accumulated, minus the food. The food she slammed into the kitchen trashcan. She labeled the box 'charity' and taped it shut. She would rid herself of it in the morning. Moving swiftly back into the bedroom she fumbled for her phone, scrolling down until she found Raj's number.

"Will you come back?"

"Amy," Raj said, his voice low and uncertain.

"I want to try," she said meekly, absentmindedly twisting a strand of hair between her fingers.

"What do you want to try, Amy?"

"Us, Raj. I want to try us."

He cleared his throat, "And what about Sheldon?"

Amy sucked in a deep breath and released an unsteady laugh, "Sheldon who?"

Raj grinned into the phone, "I'll be there soon."


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

"Look at this!"

"Video equipment, yes."

"Yeah, Sheldon, but it's not just any video equipment. This is the best, like the stuff that professionals have. It's what all the Hollywood studios use."

"Well, that's not surprising. Mr. Stewart is a movie executive, after all."

"What? Sheldon? Wait...whose house is this exactly?"

They were in the viewing room of the massive mansion and Sheldon was perched on the edge of a leather theater seat with a lap full of Blu-ray discs.

"Um, Edwin and Evelyn Stewart. They're big donors at CalTech. I believe I've already informed you of that."

"Yeah, you told me they were some rich couple who give a lot of money. You just said 'the Stewarts' but you didn't tell me it was Edwin Stewart."

"Well, you never asked."

"Hey, we can make our own movie while we are here, want to?" she shot him a mischievous grin while testing the buttons on the camera.

He gave her a contemplative stare, finding the thought of documenting their Malibu trip enticing.

"It would be nice to have a visual record of our time here."

"What?"

"You suggested making a documentary of this Malibu trip. I concur that a recorded keepsake would be delightful."

Penny rolled her eyes, still tampering with the camera, adjusting the tripod it rested on.

"You can take it out on the beach with us later when we go for our evening walk if you'd like. We can get some interesting footage of the sunset from there."

Turning away from the camera, she moved towards him, giving him a wicked grin. With one sweep of her hand, she pushed the discs off his legs and crawled onto him, taking their place in his lap.

"Penny? What are you doing? I had those alphabetized by lead actor."

"Sheldon," she said, twisting to settle a knee on each side of his slender frame, straddling him, grinding seductively against him. "I wasn't talking about a documentary. I was talking about," she began trailing wet, sloppy kisses along his neck, slowly dragging her tongue behind his ear, "a movie of us."

"What are you...oh...ohhhhooohhh...Penny," he gasp for air and for clarity of mind to override her gyrations.

"Come on Sheldon," she whispered seductively in his ear, "it'll be just for us. I've never done that before, never thought I'd want to. But you and me, God...it would be great."

"Penny, I don't know...what if...what if someone were to discover it?" he asked between returning her kisses. Once he'd finally released his inhibitions and given himself to her completely a few nights back, he'd become an enthusiastic and passionate lover, dedicated to pleasing her in every way, getting off on new positions, every taste and touch, making sure Penny (and he) was satisfied to the point of exhaustion.

"But just think...mmmm...that feels so good...we would always have it, you could put it on our computers with lots of passwords and thingies...oh damn baby..."

He cupped her breast now, his thumb teasing her nipple. He used his other hand to scoot her closer to his growing erection, lifting his hips just enough to grind against her inner thigh.

"Feel that...how hard you make me...how much I want you."

She spoke softly, moving her lips across his neck, easing towards his ear, "I've created a monster," she giggled, adding, "a _sex_ monster."

She dropped her hands to his belt and began to unbuckle it, encouraging him to lift up as she tugged at his pants.

Sheldon released a deep sigh, then laid his head back against the thick padding of the theater chair and looked at her through heavily lidded eyes as she dropped to her knees and took him in her mouth. He groaned as he watched her trail her tongue along his shaft, then moving her mouth lower to tease his testicles.

"Penny," he hissed, grasping the arms of the chair and resisting the urge to buck wildly towards her face.

"Let's make a movie, Sheldon," she whispered, brushing across the head of his cock, "Please, baby."

"Damn," he growled, pressing his eyes shut, aware that he was dancing on the brink of his desire, close to falling over the edge.

"I wanna watch you fuck me on the big screen," she said, her voice husky with lust.

It was all he needed to bring him, his stomach tightening, the release of built up pressure exploding in her mouth, her tongue whipping wildly, swirling around his girth.

He returned the favor when he'd regained his composure, pushing her flush to the floor, removing her shorts, burying his head between her legs, his mouth bringing her to multiple states of orgasmic bliss.

Sheldon felt himself hardening as he pleasured her and slowly lifted her legs to place them on his shoulders before positioning the head of his desire at her entrance. Raising his eyebrows, he smiled down at her.

"Is this what you want?"

"Yes," she grunted, lifting her hips towards him, "deep, I want it deep."

"What else?" he ground out as he began to slowly piston in and out of her.

"I want you to tell me how much you like doing this to me."

"More than breathing, more than science," he gasp, speeding his rhythm as her face began to twist, her teeth biting at her bottom lip, her hands gripping his ass.

"And swear to me we can make a movie of us."

"I swear," he growled.

He dropped his head and began a crazed and passionate kissing of her body, her legs dropping from his shoulders, his fingers moving between her legs. They groaned in pleasure as they reached a mutual climax.

He collapsed on top of her, the last words he heard before dropping off to sleep were her whispered admiration of his sexual prowess.

He was the first to speak when they began to wake, arms and legs entangled, sticky, the room scented with their sex.

"That wasn't fair," he rasped.

She smiled at him, snuggling closer into the crook of his arm.

"You're complaining?"

"Hardly," he sighed, "however I would have agreed to any request you made as soon as your lips touched me there. This," he said, gesturing towards their tangled bodies, "was really unnecessary."

"Soooo...let me get this straight," she said, pushing herself to a sitting position, towering over him. "_This_ was unnecessary? Are you telling me you didn't enjoy this? Because I gotta tell ya, the sounds you were making, and the way you body was responding, say otherwise."

"Oh, I enjoyed it immensely. I'm just letting you know that you didn't have to seduce me to this degree. You had me at...well, at penis."

Penny giggled and he rolled his eyes, finally laughing, "I apologize, that was a poor choice of words. My point being, with that, um, _part _of me in your mouth, there isn't much you can ask of me that I would deny you."

She winked at him, "Yep, and that's how it's designed to work."

"Women," he muttered, giving her ass a playful slap.

"Ummmm...that feels good."

"So tell me Penny, when, dare I ask, do you plan to film this movie?"

"Umm, well..."

Her eyes shot to the camera and his followed quickly behind hers, spotting the glowing red and green lights instantly.

"Penny! Did you...are we..." he began to scramble for his clothing, his face flushing red.

She giggled, "Well, you said we could. Remember? I had you at penis, you said it."

Now fully dressed he moved swiftly to the camera and flipped it to the off position.

"Yes, but I didn't know you meant now. I thought I'd have time to think about it and prepare."

"Yeah...I know how you are when you think about something. You'd over think it, freak out, try to act, and honey I've seen you act, remember? I didn't need you overacting for our little film."

"What assurances can you give me, Penny, that this footage won't ever find its way into the hands of someone other than the two of us?"

"I told you, we'll put it on our laptops, make a bunch of passwords and stuff, and then erase the film. Easy Peasy."

"Penny, might I remind you that nothing with you is ever, as you say, Easy Peasy."

"And?" she asked expectantly.

"And I wouldn't want you any other way," he laughed.

"So you're not mad?"

"And if I were?" he said, returning to her, slowly lowering himself to the floor.

"Well, we would erase it and forget about it. This is not something I'd want to keep if you didn't feel comfortable. I'll delete it right now if you want me to. I just didn't tell you I was filming because I knew you wouldn't act natural."

He sighed, looking from her to the camera and then back to her.

"We'll watch it tomorrow evening."

"I can't wait!" she said, pulling him into a long, deep kiss.

"Me either," he mumbled against her lips.

"I knew it! It turns you on as much as it does me."

"Well, if I didn't want it, I would have turned it off before we got very far into our sexual activities."

"Wait, what? You knew?"

"Penny, please. You know that I am always aware of my surroundings and am in control."

"So you knew we were filming the entire time?"

"Of course."

"How? How did you know I..."

"Penny, I've been watching you for years. I've learned you...I'm still learning you...and enjoying every moment of it, might I add. But this? This is Penny 101...you say you want to record us, you record us and worry about the consequences later."

"So why did you act like you didn't know? Why'd you get up and start jerking your clothes back on?"

He grinned at her, "If the film were to ever fall into the wrong hands, I have visual evidence that I was innocent in the entire endeavor. It's called 'acting' Penny."

"Acting?"

"Yeah, I learned from the best."

"Oh yes you did," she giggled.

"What am I ever going to do with you, Penny?" he sighed.

"Well, you know my motto..."

"I do indeed."

"It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

"And there it is."

**~s/p~**

"I never knew what I was missing," Amy said quietly, watching Raj move around the kitchen.

"Ah, just wait until you taste my soufflé, it's divine."

She smiled at him, "So this is what a real boyfriend is like."

He laughed, "Well, I'm still learning. I must admit I've not had a lot of practice."

"Yes, but at least you are all in. I'm not used to that."

Raj winked at her, "You just didn't have the _right_ boyfriend. Sheldon is a good man, he's just not the right man for you. I think you know that."

"Yes, you made me take a long, hard look at myself, at my relationship with him. I didn't like what I saw."

"And what exactly did you see?"

"Well, lots of hot dogs and video games and beverages I don't care for."

"And?" Raj urged her to continue.

"And a lot of pleading and begging on my part," she confessed.

"Well, I'm pleased that you can see clearly now. Oh, and speaking of beverages," he said while stirring the contents of a sauce pan on the stovetop, "there's wine coolers in the fridge. Help yourself."

"Would you like one?" she asked, bending to reach for the bottles.

"Yes please."

"Ah," she said after swallowing her first gulp, "that beats the hell out of Mountain Dew."

"That's my girl," he said, talking the wine cooler from her.

"I think I'm going to enjoy being your girl, Rajesh."

"Me too," he said before lifting the bottle to his mouth.

"You know, I never realized that a relationship is a two way street. I was always the one doing everything for Sheldon. I made all the plans, I instructed him on proper protocol, I called Penny and asked for ideas on what to do to make him happy, to keep him interested in me."

"Well, if what you say is true, that you think there is something between Penny and Sheldon, I bet that must have killed her to give you suggestions on how to make Sheldon happy."

"Yeah, I've been wondering about that. Penny has always been a great friend, and she never failed to help me with Sheldon every time I asked. I just, I don't know, maybe I'm wrong about them. She might really care of Leonard after all and I've just been reading it all wrong."

Raj rolled his eyes, "Did you ever wonder why Penny drinks so much?"

Amy shook her head, "Yes. Bernadette and I have had numerous discussions about her excessive use of alcohol. It is worrisome and she seems to have increased over the past few months in particular.

"And do you and Bernadette not see the correlation?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Well, you tell me. You say her drinking has increased over the past few months, right?"

"Yes."

"And how long have she and Leonard been back together since ending the beta test?"

"Well, a few months but...oh...oh my...Raj, you may be on to something. Her drinking maybe be related to her relationship with Leonard."

"Exactly."

"But she acts so happy."

He rolled his eyes, "Well, she is an actress you know."

"What are you getting at?"

"I don't know, let's just say it's a hunch. Has she ever said anything to you or Bernadette about not really caring for Leonard?"

"Well, she did tell us that they have a boring kind of love, but we just laughed her off. I guess we thought she was joking."

"Hmm, that's interesting."

"Yeah, and now that I think about it, she's also indicated numerous times that he's not so great in bed, he tries, but you know..."

Raj laughed, "Yeah, you should have been around the first time they had sex. It was a disaster. Then they tried again, but before they could even do it, they had to get really drunk."

"Oh Raj, I had no idea. She never told me."

"Yeah, it's been a pattern with them, mixing alcohol and sex."

"So you're saying the reason Penny's intake of alcohol has increased lately is related to her attempt to tolerate and maintain a relationship with Leonard?"

"Just a hypothesis, my dear," Raj said, reaching to take the wine cooler from Amy's hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, the food has a while to cook and I'd like to make love to you without the aid of an alcoholic beverage. I don't want us to follow in the footsteps of Leonard and Penny."

Amy laughed and reached for him, "Oh, don't you worry about that. I want to be totally sober to enjoy every erotic moment we share. Besides, there's nothing boring about us, and just so you know, you are great in bed."

Raj gave her a shy grin and then turned the oven temperature to low and led her to his bedroom. They had a late dinner, a very late dinner, and then he asked her to stay the night.

Amy loved that she didn't have to beg a single time for his affection.

**~s/p~**

"Come on, Texas!" Penny ran ahead of him, her feet splashing along the water as the tide rolled in.

His quick strides and long legs allowed him to catch up to her quickly.

"I've noted that you've taken to referring to me as 'Texas,' Penny. Care to explain that to me?" He raised an eyebrow and waited for her answer.

"Well," she teased, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him hard against her, "it's my nickname for you. I love it when your Texas twang sneaks into your words no matter how hard you try to hide it." She rested her palms on his ass and pulled him tightly into her, seductively grinding against him, "And also," she giggled, "you are big...big like Texas, if ya know what I mean."

"I see," he grinned down at her, lifting his hands to smooth her hair that whipped wildly in the salty Pacific breeze. "Then I shall call you Nebraska."

"Oh yeah? And why's that?"

"Well, Nebraska was the 37th state to join the union and you know, Penny, that the inverse of 37 is 73, and you are well aware of what 73 is."

She laughed, "Yeah, your favorite number."

"Correct. Additionally, the honeybee is Nebraska's official insect and I find you incredibly sweet."

He bent to kiss her, his lips grinning against hers.

"Aw, _Texas_, you are so romantic."

"There's more."

"Of course," she laughed, encouraging him to continue.

"The goldenrod is your state's official flower. It's bright and vibrant, just like you. And then there's Kool-aid."

She scrunched her nose, "Kool-aid?"

"Yes, are you not aware that Kool-aid was invented in your home state? And you know how I feel about cherry Kool-aid."

"You love it."

"Yes," he sighed, "I love it just as I love _you_."

"Well, then, there ya go. Texas and Nebraska we are."

"Yes," he nodded, "and Texas and Nebraska we shall be forever more."

"God, we're corny."

"Yes, just like Nebraska," he teased, eliciting a playful smack on his ass from her.

**~s/p~**

"The sunset is stunning," Sheldon said, reaching for her hand as they walked along the shore.

She stopped and smiled up at him, "I can't remember a time in my life, Sheldon, when I have been this happy."

"Nor I," he said, lifting her hand to his face and pressing it against his cheek. "You've given me something, Penny, that I never knew I wanted, that I'd only heard and read of. Your love has given me a strength and a confidence like none I've ever known existed. I fear what my life would have been had we not found one another."

She grinned at him squinting against the glare of the setting sun, "Your life? So I _am_ more than a summer fling?"

He pulled her close, resting his chin on the top of her head, pressing his eyes together, "You Penny, if you will have me, are my life."

She sighed, "I thought science was your life, you know, tearing the face off nature, staring into the face of God, solving the mysteries, all that stuff."

She felt his fingers trace along the sensitive surface of her skin, sending a sensual shiver through her body, "You Penny, are my greatest mystery. Solving you far exceeds anything I could ever discover in a lab or under a microscope."

"I love you Sheldon Cooper," she said, whispering in his ear, the warmth of her breath arousing him in ways he was yet to fully understand.

"Can we go watch our movie now?" he asked shyly, unsure if it were apropos to express his desire to watch the film they'd made the night before.

"Oh yeah," she giggled, "I can't wait!"

She turned towards the house, her hand in his, pulling him towards their home away from home. He stopped her, spinning her around to face him.

"What?" she asked, a confused smile on her face.

"I love you too, Penny."

"I know," she nodded, "I think I always knew. We just had to wait for our time to come."

"Yeah," he said, swallowing hard, "this is our time and we can't let anyone come between us ever again. We almost lost each other to Amy and Leonard. It frightens me to think of that."

"Oh Sweetie, that's all in the past, okay? I think being with Amy and Leonard made us stronger and better. That time with them prepared us for each other. We're older and wiser now. We know what we want and what we don't want."

"All those years you drove me mad, I'd lie in bed at night and replay it all in my head. I'd try to hate you, I'd issue strike after strike, but by the dawn of the next morning, I felt I could barely start my day until I laid eyes on you or skirmished with you in some absurd manner, a thin veil to conceal my feelings for you."

"Wait. So all those strikes were..."

"Twaddle. Pure twaddle, just an excuse to engage myself into your life. The sparring was just a means to justify being near you."

She laughed, "Sneaky! There were times when I was sure you really hated me."

"Never."

"Well, if we're confessing all our _stuff_...the times I asked you to help me, they were fake. I was constantly trying to think of excuses to ask you for help or something. The Penny Blossoms..."

"But you..." he stammered.

"Promise you won't be mad?"

"Yes," he said with hesitancy, raising his eyebrows.

"Those were Lindsey's. Lindsey from work, you met her at the summer charity carnival. I just had the package sent to me because she had a P.O. Box and couldn't accept packages. Then you came over to bring it to me, well, you were so...cute...and innocent...I kind of got turned on when you said you could help me run a business. Truth? All the money we made from the East Rutherford, New Jersey Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Alliance? I gave it to Lindsey. She's supporting herself and her little sister on her crummy waitress salary, so I felt like she needed it more than me."

"I see."

"And the money you loaned me when I couldn't pay my rent?"

"Yes..."

"I'd already called my dad, he was sending me a check for two months rent. But when we were standing at your apartment door and you came up behind me...God, Sheldon, I just...well, I really wanted to grab you and throw you on the sofa but I thought that might freak you out."

He smiled, "Probably. For the first minute or two."

She grinned, "Yeah well, so when you offered to lend me the money, I said yes only because then I knew I'd owe it back to you, therefore it would give me more excuses to talk to you."

He shook his head, "Is that it?"

"No," she said, searching his face for understanding, "there's a million more...the laundry room...taking you shopping for Leonard's birthday present...taking care of you when you were sick, even though I pretended to hate it...the Nimoy napkin, I don't want to even tell you what I had to go through to get that for you...making you tuck me into bed after I hurt my shoulder...kissing you on game night, I almost couldn't stop myself that time...

"Penny, Penny, Penny..."

"Are you mad?"

He reached to place a hand on each side of her face, "How could I be mad? I'm...flattered."

She smiled up at him, "I'm glad. It feels good to get that off my chest. I've carried it around for a long time."

Sheldon shook his head, "Yes well, I've got my own secrets, my own confessions to make."

"So tell me."

"Oh Penny...they are much the same as yours. Laundry nights...Halo...the night you came to my room to comfort me when we returned form that dreadful trip to the Arctic...placing your panties on the telephone wires...the Valentine's Day we spent together when you were sick..."

"Wait. When I was sick? We both were sick."

"No...I was feigning my illness."

"But why?"

"Well, we got to spend the entire weekend together, didn't we?"

She laughed, "Yeah, we did. It was the best sick time I've ever had."

"Yes, once I realized you were ill and would not be going to Switzerland with Leonard, I knew he'd ask me to accompany him. Thank God I happened to be in the bathroom when he came back from your apartment to tell me you weren't going. As soon as he issued an invitation to me, I acted as if I were vomiting so I'd have an excuse not to go with him."

"Oh Sheldon."

He sighed, "That's not the worst of it. You want to know why I was trying so hard to make him take me instead of you?"

"Um, _yeah_."

"I'm given to understand that Switzerland is an incredibly romantic place and I simply didn't want you to go there with him. I thought if I pleaded my case, he'd understand and invite me, thus preventing you from joining him. I failed to factor in just what a horny little homunculus he is, that he'd go to the ends of the earth to engage in sexual congress with a woman."

"So you really didn't care about going to see that large hadron thing?"

"Penny, I am one of the preeminent physicists in the field. I have an open invitation to attend at anytime. I certainly do not need an invitation from Leonard Hofstadter. To be quite honest, I simply don't enjoy air travel. That, and _only_ that, is why I have yet to visit Switzerland."

Penny cleared her throat, "Well, if we are laying all our cards on the table, I have to tell _you_ something about that trip."

"What?"

She reached to comb her fingers though is hair, "Baby, I wasn't really sick either. I was just laying in bed with Leonard that night, watching him sleep, thinking about you across the hall, how you'd be all alone if I went with him. So I got up and went to the bathroom and pretended to puke my guts out just to get out of going with him. I didn't want to leave you."

"Good Lord."

"Yeah. Funny how we were finally alone with Leonard halfway around the world and yet we still couldn't say what we wanted to say to each other."

"I apologize, Penny. I should have manned up."

"Manned up? Sheldon, you are perfect just the way you are. Look at us now. Even if we didn't tell each other the truth that weekend, we still had a great time. I loved all those days snuggled up on the sofa with you, eating junk food, playing video games and watching movies."

"Speaking of watching movies," he said in a voice so low it sent shivers across her entire body.

"Yeah," she said, "we've got a blockbuster to go watch."

"Indeed," he said, dropping his arm around her shoulder and leading her towards their house on the beach.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I have a lot going on IRL. It's well past 1:00am and I'm editing and posting chapters 14 and 15 before I go to sleep. Thanks for everything! I love reading your comments and learning what you guys like, as that really helps (and scares me a little bit...LOL!) with the development and editing of the story. In Chapter 14 I kind of take a jab at myself for the cheesy title of this fic. Ha! I couldn't resist. (You've got to be able to laugh at yourself, right?) **

**Chapter 15 is on the short side but I like it because it portrays a sweet moment between Sheldon and Penny and I used an iconic character from a classic American novella (_Of Mice and Men_) to create a kind of sick parallel between "Lennie" and "Lenny." Gah...if you are familiar with the book, you'll get it, if not, I apologize for my absurdity.  
**

**Onward!**

CHAPTER 14

"Stunning," Sheldon whispered, his eyes wide as images of him and Penny flickered across the screen, the light reflecting, bouncing off his face.

Penny squirmed in her seat, tightening her grip on his hand, "Yeah."

The film ended and they sat silently for a moment. Sheldon drug his fingers though his hair, flashing her a pointed look. Penny was the first to speak.

"So...should we delete it now so nobody ever sees it?"

He cleared his throat, "Um, no. I'd like to, um, have it on my computer, for you know, when I'm missing you."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. God, you're such a guy. Homo Novus my ass."

**~s/p~**

Leonard looked at the calendar that hung next to his bunk. He'd be leaving the ship in a month, heading back to Pasadena, back to Penny. He glanced down to watch Alex as she slept in his bed, she was completely unaware of the debate raging in his mind. He was sure he'd led her to believe they were a couple now and he wanted her to continue to believe it until he found out if Penny still wanted him.

Alex was great, could be a good girlfriend, but only if Penny didn't want to resume their relationship. Penny would always be his number one girl and everyone knew that. He sighed and drug his hand though his unruly curls, wondering just how awkward it would be when he would have to dump Sheldon's assistant once they were back on dry land.

He shook his head, he'd deal with it later. He had four more weeks on the ship and there was no way he was going to sleep alone. No matter what the outcome would be, he'd keep Alex at the ready to satisfy his needs until he could get back to Penny.

Leonard thought to try to call her, or maybe even attempt again to get in touch with his wayward roommate, but when Alex rolled towards him, slinging her arm across his midsection, he forgot all about Penny and Sheldon.

**~s/p~**

"I have something to confess to you," Raj said, his hands fidgeting in his lap as they sat together on her sofa.

They were watching a Glee marathon, Amy having become fascinated with Sue Sylvester since Raj had introduced her to the show.

Amy paused the tv and rolled her eyes towards him.

"You look so serious. What is it?"

Raj sighed, "Before I tell you, I need you to promise me that you won't repeat this to anyone, including Bernadette."

"I promise," she said slowly, "I think."

"No, you have to swear to me, okay?"

"Alright, I swear."

"And you won't get mad?"

"Raj, that's hardly fair. I don't know if I'll get mad. I promise I won't tell, but I don't promise that I won't get mad."

"Fair enough, I guess," he said slowly, shifting his body to better face her.

Amy instantly noted the seriousness in her new boyfriend's eyes, and reached to take his hand in hers, giving a reassuring nod to continue.

"It's, well..."

"It's something about Sheldon, isn't it?" she whispered.

"Yeah. And..."

Amy raised her eyebrows, "And Penny, right?"

"Yes," he confessed, relieved he didn't have to say it all.

"Just tell me Raj. You're my boyfriend now, it doesn't matter to me what Sheldon is doing."

"I just feel like I need to get this off my chest, just in case it ever comes up. I just, well, I don't want there to be any secrets between us."

She smiled at him, "I agree. No secrets. So go ahead."

"Well, a few weeks ago...it was actually sometime last month, I helped Sheldon have a romantic dinner with Penny. It was lovely."

"What?" Amy said, an incredulous smirk taking residence on her face.

"Yeah, it was on his roof. I made the food, helped him with a glorious tent with beautiful flowing linens. There was music, and I'm pretty sure they danced after I finally left them alone."

Amy's eyes were wide now. She chewed at her bottom lip and pulled her hand away from his.

"Isn't that great?" he asked, forcing a smile and smoothing his hand though dark locks of thick hair.

"We were still together then," she hissed.

"No, no you weren't. I asked him. You were taking a break from your Relationship Agreement, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," she said, rising to her feet, "but technically we were still together. We had not completely dissolved our agreement at that point."

"Oh..."

"Yes, and what's more, Raj, when in hell did Sheldon ever, in our over two year relationship do anything remotely romantically like that for _me_?"

Tears stung her eyes now and she began a furious pace in front of him.

"Amy..."

"Why? Why couldn't he ever care for me like that?"

"He was an idiot," Raj said quietly, pushing himself to his feet to reach for her.

"No, he's no idiot. He just never...he never really did care for me, did he? It's always been Penny, hasn't it?"

Raj sighed and reached for her, "Amy, it's just those two...they've been dancing around the inevitable for so long. Howard and I knew it a long time ago, we knew there was something much deeper between the two of them than friendship and that insane competitive crap they were always doing with each other. I honestly believe that had Leonard not pursued her, she and Sheldon would have gotten together a long time ago. Sheldon doesn't have a lot of experience with women and he didn't know how to express his feelings or to stand up to Leonard and tell him to back off."

"They're together now, aren't they? Somewhere out there, Sheldon and Penny are together right now."

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Amy..."

"Where, Rajesh?"

"If I am your boyfriend and you care for me as you say you do, why do you care where Sheldon is or who he is with?"

Amy glared at him, "Because, Raj, he broke my heart."

**~s/p~**

"This is one of my favorite holidays," Penny said, grinning up at Sheldon as they walked along the beach.

He dropped his arm across her shoulders, he'd been doing that a lot lately, and pulled her face towards his, causing them to come to an abrupt stop in the hard, wave drenched sand beneath their feet.

"_You_ are my favorite holiday," he said seriously, lifting his hand to cup the back of her head.

Penny giggled, "Sheldon, you are the cheesiest person I know."

"Cheesy?" he asked with a hint of derision before dropping his lips to hers, ghosting them teasingly across her mouth.

"Yep, cheesy. Look, you even made us wear these ridiculous American flag t-shirts for the party. God! I feel like I'm at third grade summer camp."

He grinned at her, finally pressing his mouth seductively against hers and kissing her long and slow.

"Were you kissed like this at summer camp, Penny?"

She laughed, "Uh, no. If anybody kissed me like that in third grade I am pretty sure they would have been arrested for being a pervert or something."

"Well, I can assure you I am no pervert."

"Aw, baby, after what we did last night, I think you and I both may be a little perverted."

He cleared his throat and she was sure the pink on his face was more than just the reflection of the setting sun.

"Yes. Last night. It was something, wasn't it?"

She slid her hand down his side and grabbed a handful of his tight ass, "It was fucking spectacular."

"Penny," he teased, "your language, please."

"Doctor Cooper, I've got nothing on you. Your language last night was enough to make a porn star blush."

"Penny!" he whispered, dragging an index finger across her pouty lips, "That is our secret. No one needs to know what takes place in our bedroom."

"Yeah, but we weren't in our bedroom...at least not at first."

"Penny, Penny, Penny..." he said, shaking his head and dropping his forehead to rest against hers.

"What, what, what?" she sighed.

"It's the Fourth of July, let's go celebrate America's birthday."

"Yeah, this is going to be a great party, I heard they have some of the best fireworks in all of California."

The private Malibu Municipal Forth of July party was in full swing when they arrived. The Stewarts had left their tickets at the house for them to use to gain entrance into the exclusive celebration. They entered the large ocean front cabana, immediately swept into the occasion with sounds of a live band playing jazzy old American standards and the aroma of grilled food filling the air. The decor was pure Americana and much to Sheldon's delight, most of the guests wore patriotic attire.

"Told you," he said, bending to whisper in her ear, giving the flag emblem on his shirt a gentle tug.

Penny rolled her eyes and laughed, "Okay, genius, you were right as usual."

"You doubted me?" he smiled, lifting his eyebrows into a challenging arch.

Pushing up on her tiptoes, she dropped a light kiss on his cheek, "Nope!"

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is that the great Doctor Sheldon Cooper?"

The deep voice came from behind him and he paused momentary before releasing Penny and spinning around.

"Well, well, if it isn't Wil Wheaton," Sheldon said drolly.

"Oh balls," Penny sighed.

"Relax Penny, Sheldon and I are friends now. We buried the hatchet a long time ago."

Penny snorted, "Well, as long as you didn't bury it in his back, I guess that's okay."

She reached to take Sheldon's hand, experiencing an odd desire to flaunt her devotion to him.

"So when did you guys start hooking up?" Wil asked, confusion clouding his eyes.

"That's very crass, Wil. I take issue with that. Penny and I are not _hooking up_. She is my girlfriend."

"My apologies, I just, you know, thought Penny and Leonard were together."

Sheldon shook his head, "They dated on and off for awhile. But as I initially predicted, their relationship was ill-fated from the start."

"Yeah, I have to say, I'm not surprised. And for the record, you two look great together."

"Thank you Wil."

"So what are you guys doing out here in Malibu so far from home?"

Penny issued a sharp nudge of her hip to Sheldon, "Ah, we just came out for the holiday weekend."

"Cool. Malibu's nice, huh? One of my buddies has a house out here and invited a group of us out to spend the holiday. We haven't seen each other in a long while, so it's a reunion of sorts. You guys want to come over and join us? We've got a big table over there. Brent's here, Sheldon. And a few other guys I think you'll recognize."

Sheldon peered past Wil, spotting Brent Spiner and LeVar Burton. While he still had not forgiven Brent for ruining his Wesley Crusher action figure, he couldn't deny the excitement he felt at being invited to be in the company of some of his all time favorite television actors.

"Please Penny?" he whispered, straining to see who else might be sitting at Wil's table.

"Well," she hedged, "since it's America's birthday and all, I guess we could hang out with Wil and his friends for awhile."

"Thank you," Sheldon said, pulling her along with him as they trailed behind Wil.

"Yeah, yeah...just remember, I wanted you to myself tonight. Payback is gonna be a bitch."

Arriving at the table, they stood back as Wil leaned in, grabbing for a beer and trading banter with his friends.

"Hey, everyone, this is a dear friend of mine and a huge fan of the show." Wil turned towards Sheldon and gestured, "Everyone, this is Doctor Sheldon Cooper and his girlfriend Penny. Sheldon is a genius and will someday be awarded the Noble Prize in the field of Physics. Sheldon, Penny, this is, well, _everyone_."

As Wil stepped back to make room for them, Penny nodded a greeting, turning slowly towards Sheldon and watched as her boyfriend's eyes grew wide. She felt his body tense beside her, then turned to follow his gaze. Her eyes landed on an older, slender bald man. He looked familiar to her, she was certain she'd seen him on some of the shows Sheldon and Leonard watched, but she couldn't immediately identify him.

"Oh my," Sheldon whispered, reaching for her arm to steady himself.

"What?" she whispered back.

"It's...it's the sexiest man alive," he shot back from the side of his mouth, his eyes never leaving the older man.

"Baby, that would be _you_," she giggled at her own joke, not yet comprehending the significance of what was playing out before her.

"Penny! It's...oh my God...it's Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander of the USS Enterprise, Next Generation."

"Ohhhh," she said, finally realizing the magnitude of the moment. "Hey Captain Picard," she said, lifting a hand to wave at the man.

"Penny!" Sheldon hissed, his face going flush. "Patrick Stewart, it's Patrick Stewart. Don't call him his character's name to his face. Oh my."

"It's quite all right," came a heavy British accent, "I understand her confusion. Sometimes when I first awaken and look in the mirror, it takes me a moment to figure out if it is Jean-Luc or Patrick staring back at me," he laughed, stretching his hand out towards Sheldon.

Sheldon froze, his eyes glazed over, his mouth slightly ajar. Penny poked him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Shake his hand," she said though gritted teeth.

"Happy Forth of July, Sheldon," he heard Wil's voice whisper in his ear, "I hope this makes up for my past indiscretions."

"Yes," Sheldon sighed, looking down, watching himself shake hands with the great Patrick Stewart.

**~s/p~**

"You were too cute when you met your hero tonight," Penny said as they swayed together on the makeshift dance floor under the soft twinkling lights that outlined the cabana.

"Yes well, I still can't get over the fact that you waved at him and called him Captain Picard."

She rolled her eyes, "Well, what was I supposed to do? Bow at his feet and salute him?"

"Well, that would have been more appropriate, Penny, than waving and saying '_hey_.' He probably thinks we are a couple of hillbillies."

"Well, he didn't seem to mind my obvious faux pas," she huffed.

"Only because you're so beautiful," he sighed, burying his face in her long hair.

"That was a really sweet thing Wil did. He knew how much it would mean to you to meet Patrick Stewart. I take back every bad thing I've ever said about him."

Sheldon grinned, "I concur. Never in my wildest imagination did I think we'd be fortunate enough to stumble across a reunion of Next Generation. Just wait until I tell Leonard."

Penny laughed, "Yeah, Leonard's gonna just love this. You steal his girlfriend _and_ you meet Patrick Stewart. He'll probably throw you a party."

"Sarcasm?"

"Sarcasm."

"I'm getting good at that."

"Amongst other things," she said, winking at him.

"And, for the record, I didn't _steal_ his girlfriend.

"Well, you _did_ steal my heart," she teased.

"And you, mine," he breathed out, pulling her tighter.

"Attention everyone! Fireworks in five minutes. Please move out onto the sand for the perfect view!"

Penny and Sheldon joined the rest of the party goers on the beach. Blankets had been placed along the dunes and Sheldon grabbed her hand and led her towards the perfect spot. Penny snuggled close to Sheldon, him behind her, her body resting between his legs. Patriotic music began to blare through the speakers and fireworks exploded brightly in the night sky. He placed his chin on her shoulder, his mouth near her ear, and wrapped her in a warm, protective embrace.

"It's like the sky is on fire," she said, tilting her head back to relax against him.

Kissing her softly behind her ear, he whispered, "I've loved this summer with you."

Penny twisted her head around and grinned up at him, "We're sort of like those fireworks, you know. We've set fire to the summer."

"Now who's being cheesy?" he laughed.

"Ugg.._me_...sorry."

"We'll create our own fireworks when we get back to the house," he promised her, his lips brushing across her ear.

"Really Sheldon? That's about as cheesy as it gets."

"Yeah," he laughed, "I thought you'd like that one."

"I do indeed, Doctor Cooper. I do indeed."


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

"So what? Sheldon broke your heart but I'm the one who has to pay for it?"

Raj stomped towards the kitchen and jerked the refrigerator door open, leaning in to snatch a soda.

"That's not what I said," Amy growled, flopping down on the sofa.

"Well, the fact that you made me sleep on the couch last night kinda says different, Amy."

"I'm sorry Raj. Your news about Sheldon and Penny just caught me off guard."

"Seriously, Amy? You said yourself you've felt something between them since the first time you saw them together. Why are you so surprised?"

"I'm not surprised Raj. I'm just...I don't know...hurt. It's one thing to suspect it, it's quite another to have it confirmed."

"I'm trying to understand, and I guess I do, but I don't think it's fair that you take it out on me. And also, it's not good for us. I know ours is a new relationship, but you talk about hurt? Do you not realize it hurts me to see you still pining over Sheldon and yet sleeping with me?"

Amy shrugged, "I'm just trying to be honest with you Raj. Isn't that what we both want? Honesty?"

Raj sat beside her and shook his head, "Yes, we do. But honestly sucks sometimes doesn't it?"

"That appears to be the case, yes."

"Look Amy, maybe we rushed into this. Maybe you need to take some time to evaluate how you really feel about Sheldon and how you feel about me too. I am really starting to like you, maybe even more that just liking, but I refuse to move our relationship forward until I know that you are as committed as I am."

"You never told me where he is."

"And I don't intend to."

"But they are together?"

"Yes."

"When will they be back in Pasadena?"

Raj shook his head, "I don't know, in a day or two I think. Why?"

"I think, Raj, I need to talk to Sheldon one last time before I can move forward with our relationship. I want to be with you, I really do. My brain is screaming for me to shut up and take you and keep you and love you forever. But my heart, oh Raj, this is something new to me...my heart is longing to see him one last time."

"I see," Raj said, pushing off the sofa. He grabbed his overnight bag and made for the door, turning back to give her a quick hug. "Call me when you are ready to commit to me Amy. I'll be waiting."

"Thank you, Raj, for giving me my space."

"Don't thank me Amy. I don't feel that I have much of a choice, do I? Goodbye."

After he'd gone, Amy stretched across her bed and thought about Sheldon and Penny. She wanted to be angry with Penny. After all, she did consider Penny her best friend. But she had learned from this experience that the heart does indeed want what the heart wants. What had once seemed to be nothing more than hokum was now her truth. And she realized she couldn't blame Penny or Sheldon at all. But she couldn't shake the thought that is should be her, Amy Farrah Fowler, in Sheldon's arms, not Penny. And that hurt her more than anything else.

**~s/p~**

He found her by the pool, stretched on a lounger, book clutched tightly in her grip, tears streaming freely down her face. He paused, admiring her bikini clad body before finally moving closer to her.

"Hi," Sheldon said softly, bending to take a seat next to her outstretched legs.

"Hey," Penny responded shyly, swiping at her tears and pulling the book to her chest, slightly flustered that he'd caught her in such an emotional state.

Sheldon reached to read the cover, tilting it slightly for a better view. He gave her a knowing smile.

"_Of Mice and Men_," he said softly, "I also cried when I read it. It's a natural response, Penny. Nothing to be ashamed of."

"Oh Sheldon, you know this story?"

"I do, it is a fine work of art."

"I can't believe it's making me cry."

"Ah, that is the mark of a great author, Penny. Steinbeck was one of the best."

"Oh, so you know him?"

Sheldon smiled at her, "Yes, I know his work. I'd dare say John Steinbeck caused many a man and woman to shed a tear or two. If you like this, I suggest you read T_he Grapes of Wrath_ next. You know, while it was a wildly unpopular decision at the time, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1962."

"Unpopular? After he wrote _this_?" she said, waving the book in the air, "Somebody didn't think he deserved to win? What was wrong with those people?"

Sheldon shrugged, "I suppose they were asses."

Penny snorted and Sheldon grinned at her, he was growing comfortable with their early morning poolside discussions.

"I feel so sorry for Lennie," she said, thumbing randomly through the remaining pages, "I hope he and George get their own land and their dream comes true."

"Yes, well," Sheldon cleared his throat, "I best leave you to your reading. I've been known to inadvertently give away endings."

Penny dropped the book in her lap and covered her ears, "Spoiler alert! Don't you dare tell me what happens."

Retrieving the book for her, he stood and pushed it into her hands, "Just don't get too attached to Lennie."

"Sheldon!"

"I'm going for a walk along the shore," he sputtered, turning and heading quickly towards the beach, leaving her to the talent of John Steinbeck.

Penny was curled in a fetal position, her face blotchy, eyes closed, when he returned from his walk. Sheldon bent and gently removed the book from her hands and placed it on the table next to her. He brushed a lock of hair from her face and then dropped lower to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I'm not asleep," she mumbled, her eyes remaining closed.

"Did you finish the book?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "and I'm mad. See? That's why I don't read stuff like that. I don't cry when I stick to People and Cosmo."

"I understand," he said, sitting beside her, trailing his fingers lightly over the firm, tan skin of her legs.

"Lennie..."

"I know...I'm sorry. I tired to warn you."

She rolled onto her back, opening her eyes and stretching as she did so. She squinted at him, the sun now shining brightly on them, creating a glare.

"That feels good," she sighed, placing her hand over his, encouraging him to continue touching her.

He released an almost inaudible sigh before lowering his mouth to her stomach, licking his way across her exposed skin.

"Oh," she groaned, slowly beginning to squirm beneath his touch, letting her legs fall apart to accommodate his body that had now twisted towards her, the weight of him on her arousing her sexuality.

He trailed his tongue along the top of her bikini, finally sliding his fingers under the fabric, giving it a firm tug.

Penny dropped her hands to his head, lazily massaging his scalp, lifting her hips to allow him to drag her bikini bottom down her legs.

"Make me forget about that damn book," she whispered frantically.

"Penny, I'm going to make you forget about the whole damn world."

The sensation of his mouth on her, his tongue slipping expertly between her folds, teasing her entrance, swirling delicate circles around her desire, pushed her over the edge, sending her free falling into blissful ecstasy.

When she'd recovered, laying in his arms, the soft breeze of the ocean riding across their skin, she repaid him in kind, moving to straddle him, the motion of her hips waking him. His breath hitched as he entered her, the warmth of her body on his, the intimacy of the moment burning indelible markings on his heart.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Texas" Penny whispered before smoothing her tongue gently across the delicate skin of his closed eyelids.

Sheldon sighed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tighter against his chest.

"Make it so, Nebraska. _Make it so_."

Penny pressed a smile against his chest and murmured, "Mmmm, that's sexy, so very, very sexy."

"Yes," he said, laying his head back, getting lost yet again in her loving him, "the words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard often have that effect."


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

"So when we get back to Pasadena in a few weeks, are you going to immediately tell Sheldon about us?"

Leonard looked up from his clipboard and studied Alex's face. He was glad there was still a good amount of time left on the ship before he would have to deal with this.

"I don't know," he stalled. "I really haven't given it much thought. Sheldon won't care one way or the other, honestly."

Alex shrugged, "Yeah, it's Penny we have to worry about, right?"

"Yeah, something like that. Now, can we talk about this later? I need to input this data right now while it is fresh in my mind."

"Sure," Alex said, reaching out to give his arm a gentle squeeze. "but we do need to discuss this soon, Leonard. I want to make sure we are on the same page before our feet touch dry land, okay?"

"Yeah, sure Alex. Now can you pass me that spreadsheet please?"

Leonard shook his head, his eyes trained on Alex's ass as she turned to grab the needed paperwork. He knew it was going to be mighty difficult to let go of her when they got home...difficult but necessary.

**~s/p~**

"Are you sure about this?" Sheldon said, his eyes darting around the lobby of the unfamiliar building.

"Well, yeah, I'm sure, are _you_?"

"You realize that this is permanent. Once we do this, Penny, we can never undo it."

"Oh Sheldon, stop being so dramatic."

"You stop being so blasé."

"Blasé? What are we, in French class or something?"

He shook his head, "I'm just saying, Penny, that if we are going to do something so _permanent,_ we need to make sure it is what we really want."

She grabbed a fistful of his t-shirt and pulled him in close to her.

"I know what I want. Do you?"

He smiled at her, getting lost in the sea of green that was her eyes.

"Well, I certainly don't want _soup_...but I do want _you_."

She popped a kiss on his lips and then released him, "I told you, it's not soup, it's courage."

"Be that as it may, I'd like _my_ tattoo to be written in proper English so there is no mistaking what it means."

"I just want you to be sure, Sheldon. I never want you to regret this and blame me. We don't have to do it. I just thought it would be sweet to do this to remind us of our summer together, and you know, of each other."

"And I told you, I concur. I like the idea of commemorating our time together with a permanent imprint. I just don't understand why we can't get Patrick Stewart's face since we actually met him here."

She sighed, "Well there's a million reasons...one, it is incredibly stupid to have _a celebrity's_ face put on your body. And two, it needs to be small enough that it can be covered easily and that is hard to do with an entire face. Three, we are getting the same thing and I refuse to have Patrick Stewart, nice as he is, on my body. Just, no. And Four, you are a big baby and you'd never make it through the pain of having an entire face put on you. I'm just praying you can hold out for this tiny little thing we are going to get."

"You make an excellent point." He winced at the thought of unnecessary pain. "Now, before we let that man touch either of us, I need to see his license issued by the state of California verifying that he is indeed legally credentialed to do this. Next, I would like to inspect his procedure for sterilization of his equipment. Then..."

"Sheldon, it is going to be fine."

"Texas and Nebraska, right?" the tattoo artist said, thumbing through their paperwork and grinning as he approached them.

"Yep! Texas and Nebraska, that's us!"

Two hours later they emerged from the store with fresh ink. They'd chosen a simple black script, small in size, on the instep of their left foot. It would be easy to hide when necessary but always a reminder of each other. Penny would forever wear the name of Sheldon's home state of Texas and he would wear her Nebraska. It was a match made in..._California_. Perfection.

**~s/p~**

Penny sighed, her hands tightly clutching the railing of the balcony that looked out across the vast blueness of the Pacific Ocean.

He moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, propping his chin on the top of her head.

"I hate to leave," she said, leaning back against his solid shoulders.

"Being here with you, Penny, has been the best time of my life. Malibu will always be significant to me."

"It's where we fell in love," she sighed dreamily.

"No," he said, turning her to face him, "it's where we consummated our love. I fell in love with you long ago."

She smiled at him before pulling him down for an agonizingly slow, deep kiss.

"Let's go home, Texas" she said as they pulled apart.

He nodded, giving one last look at the sea before taking her hand in his and leading them to her car.

**~s/p~**

Amy made her way up the familiar stairway. Her mind swirled with the questions she needed to ask and the possibilities she wanted to present to her ex-boyfriend. She heard their voices as she rounded the third floor landing, pausing to listen more intently.

Penny was laughing now, her body pressed hard against the door to Sheldon's apartment.

"Stop! That tickles," she giggled, planting the palms of her hands against his biceps.

"And you like it," he teased, his fingers under her shirt, fluttering relentlessly across her skin.

He bent to kiss her and she bit hard on his bottom lip.

"Hey! You bit me," he howled, lifting a hand to his mouth.

"And you like it," she mimicked him, reaching back and turning the doorknob behind her, causing them both to spill into his apartment.

Sheldon pushed at the door with his foot while walking her to the sofa. He spun her around, dragging her down with him as he took his spot. She landed in his lap, glancing back at the door.

"Hey, the door didn't close all the way," she breathed out, sighing as his tongue scorched a trail down her neck.

"I really don't care," he said, sinking his teeth into her taut skin, sucking gently with intentions of leaving his mark on her.

"Oh my God that's good," she growled, shifting to lift a leg across his body, straddling him, her knees firmly planted in the leather on either side of him.

His nimble fingers slowly began to unbutton her shirt, his thumbs taking great care to circle and tease her hardening nipples that stood erect under the fabric of her bra.

"I can't get enough of you," he said, sucking in a deep breath as she ground herself hard against him.

"I can tell," she laughed softly while shoving his shirts over his head.

"I've got to have you now, Penny."

"Shouldn't we close the door? It didn't shut all the way, it's cracked open a little bit."

She inhaled deeply as he palmed her breast, dropping his head to take it in his mouth, mumbling, "Do you really want to get up and close it now?"

"Hell no," she sighed, trailing her fingers along the waistband of his pants. "What I want," she groaned as his hand cupped at her mound, an index finger gliding across her covered opening, "is to have you inside me."

"My God!" Amy's voice echoed through the room, the door banging harshly against the wall, causing a book to fall from the neatly ordered shelves.

"What the..." Penny squeaked, pulling away from Sheldon and grabbing for her shirt.

"Amy?" Sheldon said, reaching for his own shirts, struggling to pull them on.

"I knew it!" Amy hissed, moving to stand in front of them, watching through eyes blurred with tears as Penny scrambled out of Sheldon's lap.

"We terminated our relationship agreement," Sheldon gently reminded her as he rose to his feet.

"Why Sheldon? Why were you never this way with me?"

"Amy I...I like you. I still consider you one of my most valued friends."

"Friends? Yeah, that's me, always the friend, never the girlfriend."

Sheldon looked nervously at Penny who was now fully clothed. Amy followed his gaze, glaring at Penny.

"And you. _You_ were my best friend," she snarled.

Penny stood and moved towards her, "Amy, come on. You're upset. Let's go across the hall and talk like old times, okay?"

"Like old times, Penny? Old times were when you were with Leonard and I was with Sheldon. Old times were you pumping me full of wine and us giggling the night away about the guys in our lives. Can we go back to _that?_"

"I'm sorry," Penny whispered, looking from Amy to Sheldon.

"Sorry for what?" Amy wailed. "Sorry for fucking him or for getting caught?"

"That's enough Amy," Sheldon said, moving to take her by the elbow and lead her to the door.

"What? Are you throwing me out now? Where did all this confidence come from Sheldon? You get with Penny and suddenly you are no longer a pathetic man-child that needs to be led around by a mother figure? You fuck her one time and now you're a real man?"

"I want you to leave, Amy. I won't stand for you talking to Penny or me this way. I'll be glad to talk with you at another time when you have calmed down."

"YOU BROKE MY HEART!" she screamed at him. She was hyperventilating now, sucking in deep breaths of air, grabbing at the table next to the door to keep from falling to the floor.

"Sheldon," Penny said softly, reaching for Amy's arm, "she can't leave like this. She can't drive. I'm going to take her to my apartment okay? I'll call you later."

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking past his ex-girlfriend and into the eyes of his current one.

"Yeah, I am. She and I need to talk."

"I understand," he said, moving to face Amy. "Amy? I want you to know I never meant to hurt you. I do care for you and I apologize for your pain. I'd never intentionally hurt you. We just, well, time passed and you continued to pursue me and I should have stopped it before it went too far. I attempted to conform to the social norms and pressure of our friends. It wasn't fair to either of us. I do apologize."

Penny led a sobbing Amy to her apartment, glancing back at Sheldon before closing the door behind her.

**~s/p~**

"I slept with Raj," Amy sniffed, sinking down into Penny's sofa.

"What?"

Amy rolled her eyes up at Penny, "Yeah, we've sort of been, well, seeing each other for about a month now. Well, we were until I freaked out in front of him about Sheldon a few days ago. He left and I haven't heard anything out of him since then."

"Oh Amy...do you...do you have feelings for Raj?"

"I think I do," she said softly, "I just...I just can't get over Sheldon."

"I'm sorry Amy. I'm so, so sorry."

"What exactly are you sorry for Penny? That you slept with him? That you are with him now?"

"No," Penny said, "I have to be honest with you Amy. I'm not sorry for any of that. I'm just sorry that you are hurt."

"Do you love him?" Amy whispered.

"Yes," Penny replied, "I do. I think I probably always have. We just, you know, well, there was Leonard and then you came along, and...well, a lot of stuff happened. We just denied if for so long."

"And then when Leonard went away, you two, well, it gave you time to get closer?"

Penny smiled at her, "Something like that."

"Something like what?"

Penny sighed, "Amy, I really don't feel comfortable discussing this with you. Maybe when time passes, I'll be able to tell you more, but for right now, I just don't want to."

"As time passes? You mean this is going to continue?"

"Amy, I just told you I love him. Yes, it is going to continue."

"You mean until Leonard gets back?"

"Amy," Penny said, sitting down beside her friend and taking her hand, "I mean _forever_."

"Forever?"

"Yes, forever. I love him and he loves me. We want to spend our lives together."

"God. It's worse than I thought."

"Please Amy. Can't you be happy for us?"

Amy cleared her throat, "What about Leonard? Does he know?"

Penny shook her head, "No. We plan to tell him when he gets back. There's no need to have that discussion long distance while he's on the ship. Besides, according to Howard, Leonard has been hooking up with some girl on the ship anyway. I doubt he'll care all that much."

"And does that bother you Penny? That he can jump into the bed of another girl so quickly after he is away from you?"

"No," Penny laughed, "honestly, I'd have been more surprised if he didn't. I've known Leonard for a long time now, he's a good guy, but he can't keep his dick in his pants. You and I both know he'll sleep with just about anyone. Look at how he jumped into bed so quickly with Sheldon's friend, Doctor Plimpton, just days after we broke up. And how much time passed before he was in bed with Stephanie after stealing her right out from under Howard? And what about the old lady that donated all that money to the university? The list is long, Amy."

"Well, you've had your share of men too, Penny. Remember? Sheldon did the math."

Penny blushed, "Yeah, you're right. I'm not proud of it, but I have to accept the truth about myself. But I'm with Sheldon now. He's all I want and I'll never be with any other man."

"It's really over, isn't it? Sheldon and me...we're over."

"Yes. But he, we both, do care for you Amy. We treasure your friendship and never want to lose it. Can you still be our friend, Amy? Do you think you can ever be happy for us?"

Amy stood, reaching for her purse and moving towards the door, "I really don't know, Penny. I want to be, I do. I just need to take some time to get over my feelings for Sheldon. He's the first man, the only man, I've ever loved."

"I know," Penny said quietly, following her to the door.

"Just, you know, take good care of him Penny. He's really something special."

"Yes he is. And I love him more than I can say Amy. I will spend every day of my life loving him."

"Goodbye Penny," Amy said, pulling the door closed behind her.

She stood in the hallway between their doors, a rush of feelings flooding over her. Moving forward she knocked on his door and waited.

"Amy," he said in a hushed tone.

"I get it now, Sheldon. We are over, I won't bother you anymore."

"Can we still be friends?"

"I don't know. I need time."

"I understand."

"Penny says she loves you. Do you love her?"

"I do."

"She says this thing between the two of you, that it's forever. Is that true?"

"If she'll have me, if she thinks she can put up with me for forever, then yes, it's true."

She gave him a curt nod and spun away from him, heading for the stairs.

He watched as his former girlfriend turned and walked away.


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

"Will you give me another chance?" Amy asked, standing before Raj in his office.

He shook his head, "Did you finish things off with Sheldon?"

It had been almost a week since Amy had spoken with Penny and Sheldon. She'd called in sick to work and holed up in her apartment eating ice cream, playing her harp and watching endless chick flicks. She felt much better now.

"I did," she said. "I spoke with him and with Penny. I sort of made an ass of myself to be honest."

Raj laughed, "Oh God, what did you do?"

"Well, just as I heard Penny say to him, and I quote, 'what I want is to have you inside me' I burst into Sheldon's apartment and yelled at them."

"Damn, oh the drama...I like it. Continue," he smiled up at her from his desk.

"Then I sobbed uncontrollably until Penny took me to her apartment. She told me they loved each other, that they want to spend the rest of their lives together and then..."

"Dude, that's harsh...and then?"

"And then I finally got it. They are in love. They'll probably get married some day."

"And that's it?"

"Then I went across the hall to Sheldon and told him I wish them the best and I left."

"I see."

"Then I spent a week in my apartment eating and singing and crying my way though a zillion chick flicks."

"Oh, enticing. I wish you would have invited me, sounds like my kind of fun."

She laughed, "Yes, you would have enjoyed it."

"You know me well."

"I want you back."

"No more Sheldon?" Raj asked, standing and moving towards her.

"No more Sheldon."

"You've said that before," he spoke softly now, brushing against her, backing her towards the wall.

"That was before I walked in on him and Penny about to engage in coitus. This time I mean it."

"You do?" he asked, pressing hard against her.

"I swear," she sighed, sinking into his embrace.

"I've missed you," he whispered, dragging his lips across hers.

"Let's get out of here."

"We can go to your apartment and eat ice cream," he teased.

"Or fuck," she giggled, pushing him back and reaching to open the door.

"Well, there's that," he laughed.

"It's so much better than ice cream."

"We could have ice cream after."

"After, definitely after," she laughed, dragging him to her car.

**~s/p~**

Mary Cooper followed her son into the apartment across the hall from his.

"Shelly, I don't understand why I can't stay in your apartment with you."

"Mom," Sheldon sighed as he lifted her suitcase onto Penny's bed, "I've told you, you will be much more comfortable here. You'll have the entire apartment to yourself."

"Well, where's Penny going to be?"

Sheldon dropped his gaze to the floor, unable to look his mother in the eye.

"With me," he confessed, bracing for her reaction.

"With you how?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Mom..."

"Is there something going on between you two?"

"I told you on the phone, Mom. Penny and I have gotten...closer."

"Closer in what way, Shelly?"

"Can we discuss this later? I need to take a shower. Penny will be back from work soon and then we'll go to dinner, okay?"

Mary stood back, studying her tall, slender son. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle more than she remembered and he wore a genuine smile. He walked with a confidence she'd never seen in him.

"Fine. But I do hope, Sheldon, that you are not engaging in premarital sex."

"Mom!"

"Well, you moved out here to California, Land of the Heathens, and I pray for your salvation every night."

"Mom, this is really inappropriate. I'm a grown man now, I don't need my mother to lecture me on how to conduct my private life."

"We'll see," she said.

"I'll be over to get you at seven, just be ready okay?"

"Eric will be joining us tonight, Sheldon. He's meeting us at the restaurant."

"Aw, Mom. I see Doctor Gablehauser every day. Do I have to break bread with him too?"

"Now Sheldon, you know he is the reason I'm here."

He smiled at her, "No, I thought it was to see your son."

"Well," she said, pulling him into a hug, "That is one of the perks of this visit, now isn't it?"

Sheldon dropped a kiss on his mother's cheek, "I'll see you at seven Mom. Please be ready."

**~s/p~**

"Hey Babe, I'm home," Penny said, pushing the door to the bathroom open and pulling back the shower curtain.

"Penny!" he barked, "I'm in the shower."

"I know, that's why I'm in here, to look at my sexy naked boyfriend."

"Penny, my mother is right across the hall. Can we please operate with a modicum of decorum while she is visiting?"

"That's why she's staying in my apartment, Sheldon, so we can still make out whenever we want to," she said, ogling him unabashedly.

He watched with a smirk as she stripped out of her clothes and climbed in next to him.

"Scoot it Cooper, I just put in ten long hours at The Cheesecake Factory. I need to wash that crap off before I go see your mom."

"Penny, please," he sighed as she wrapped her wet body around his, "promise you'll be on your best behavior. You know my mom can't tolerate anything remotely suggestive."

"Mmmm," she sighed, taking his manhood in her hand, "I've thought about this all day."

"Penny," he hissed, thrusting into her hand despite himself.

"Sheldon," she whispered in his ear, "I'm gonna make you come, then when we get home tonight, you're going to return the favor to me, because I'm going to be so nice to your mom at dinner."

"Damn," he croaked, "don't mention my mother while you're doing this to me."

"Does it feel good?" she asked, watching as he lowered his head to her chest, sucking in a deep breath when he took a nipple in his mouth.

"Yeah," he said, "so damn good."

His hips bucked forward, forcing her back, his thrusting becoming more erratic as she brought him to completion.

"Fuck," he growled, biting at her shoulder.

"Payback tonight, Texas" she laughed, slapping him gently on his ass as he turned to clean himself.

"I look forward to it, Nebraska" he grinned at her before giving her a quick kiss and stepping out of the shower. "You've got twenty minutes, no dillydallying."

"I just dillyed your dally, Sheldon," she giggled, whistling at him as he dried himself.

"You're a true wordsmith, Penny," he said drolly, sending her a wink before leaving the bathroom.

**~s/p~**

"Doctor Gablehauser," Sheldon said, nodding at his boss who was waiting as they entered the lobby of the restaurant.

"Hello Sheldon," Gablehauser said, adding, "seeing as how we are away from the university and this is a purely social outing, please feel free to call me Eric."

Sheldon shrugged, "Yes, Doctor Gablehauser."

"So Penny," Mary said, looping her arm through Penny's, "can I speak with you alone please?"

"Sure," Penny said, looking to Sheldon for support.

Mary pulled Penny towards the corner, leaving her son alone with her date.

"I'm glad we have a moment to speak alone," Gablehauser said, turning his full attention to Sheldon.

"This is about my mom, isn't it?" Sheldon replied, thinking back to his last conversation with him.

"Yes, it is. Remember how I helped you out with your vacation? Malibu and all that?"

"Yes."

"And judging by the way Penny is looking at you tonight, I'd venture to say that things have worked out pretty well for the two of you."

Sheldon smiled, watching as his mom cornered Penny.

"Things are great between Penny and me."

"Excellent. I also hope you remember our conversation. You said you would put in a good word with Mary for me."

"Doctor Gablehauser," Sheldon said, "I have an eidetic memory, I remember _everything_."

"So you've spoken with your mom on my behalf?"

"Not yet. She just arrived in town today. I got her settled into Penny's apartment and then got ready to meet you here. But I am a man of my word and I will speak with her."

"I do appreciate it Sheldon. We've spoken on the phone many times, and exchanged email also. I've grown very fond of her. I'd like to spend some quality time with her while she is in California. I've even arrange to take the week off from work."

Sheldon studied Gablehauser's face before finally speaking, "You swore to me that you would not hurt her."

"And I won't."

Gablehauser extended his hand to Sheldon, "I know you have an aversion to touching, Sheldon, but from where I come from, a man's word and a firm handshake are his bond."

Sheldon gave him a sincere smile and reached to take his hand, "I'm from Texas, Eric, there's no need to explain the meaning of a firm handshake to me."

**~s/p~**

"What's this about you and my son shacking up?"

"What?" Penny asked, glancing back at Sheldon who was locked in deep conversation with Eric Gablehauser.

"Shelly tells me you are staying with him while I am visiting. While I appreciate your generosity and hospitality, I am not crazy about the idea of you and Sheldon sharing his apartment unsupervised."

"Mrs. Cooper," Penny sighed, "Sheldon and I are adults."

"Yes you are. But you are _unmarried_ adults."

"I'm..." Penny started, thankful to be interrupted by Sheldon tapping her on the shoulder.

"Our table is ready," he said, looking from his mother to his girlfriend.

"Thank God," Penny sighed, taking his hand and letting him lead the way.

"Mom," Sheldon whispered as he reached to pull her chair out, "I trust you are being as kind to Penny as I am being to _your_ date."

Mary rolled her eyes at him, "I'm not living in the same apartment with _my_ date, Sheldon."

"Mary," Gablehauser said, taking the seat beside her, "look at them. They are obviously in love. I'm sure they are behaving well in that apartment. It was very kind of Penny to give up her place for you."

Penny smiled at her boyfriend's boss, giving him a slight nod of appreciation.

"Well," she said, looking at the three of them, "It seems that I am outnumbered by a group of California free sprits. Very well, if it feels good do it, peace, love and rock and roll. So what are we doing after dinner, going to a love-in?"

Gablehauser laughed, "This isn't the seventies, Mary. But you do make me smile. I love your sense of humor."

Mary appeared to soften a bit at his words, causing her son to blush slightly at the comfortable banter between his mother and his boss.

"Can we order please?" he asked, glad to feel Penny's leg pressing warmly against his under the table.

"Yes, let's do," Mary said, "Eric and I have plans after dinner."

"But Mom," Sheldon said, "I thought you were going to come back to my place and spend some time with me."

She smiled at him, "Sheldon, as I have been reminded by both your girlfriend and your boss, you are an adult man with a beautiful girlfriend whom you are obviously very enamored with. I suspect the last thing you want or need is your _mother_ hanging out with you."

"Touché," Gablehauser said, grinning at Mary.

She shrugged, "Well, it seems my little boy is growing up."

"Indeed," sighed Penny under her breath, smiling at Sheldon when he nudged her.

Their dinner was enjoyable, the four of them eventually falling into a comfortable conversation peppered with stories from Sheldon's childhood. Doctor Gablehauser impressed Sheldon by picking up the bill without hesitation. Penny excused herself to go to the restroom and Gablehauser stepped into the lobby to take a phone call, leaving Mary and Sheldon alone.

"You love her, don't you?" Mary asked quietly, reaching across the table to cover her son's hand with her own.

"Yes," he smiled, "I do."

"And she's good to you?"

"Very."

"Do you have plans?"

"I want to marry her someday, Mom."

She smiled at him, "I'm happy for you Sheldon. Penny is a lovely, spirited girl. And she hasn't taken her eyes off of you all night. She's good for you. _Love_, Sheldon, is good for you."

He grinned at her, "And what about you and Doctor Gablehauser? _He_ can't take his eyes off _you_. I've never seen him this way."

"He's a good man, Sheldon. While I'm happy to have this time with you, I'm mostly here to see him, to get to know him better."

"I understand."

"Yes, but do you approve?"

"Mom, if he makes you half as happy as Penny makes me, then, yes, I approve."

Mary laughed, "Look at us. Who would've thunk it?"

"Thunk is not a word," he teased her.

"Don't get smart with me, Shelly. It's a word if I use it in a sentence."

"Yes, Mom."

"That's better. Now where were we?"

"You were telling me about my new daddy."

"Hush, smarty pants, here he comes."

**~s/p~**

She was on her stomach now, his body draped across her back, his weight and warmth creating a surge of desire in her.

"So good," she whispered as he moved between her legs, using his knee to spread her legs further apart.

"This is payback for what you did for me in the shower earlier," he said, his mouth perched next to her ear, his hot breath sending chills across her body.

He slid his arm under her, pulling her up, adjusting her to accommodate him. She pushed her ass towards him, arching her back, feeling the slick wetness of his tip brushing against her thigh.

She arched into him, encouraging him to enter her.

"Penny," he hissed her name repeatedly, pushing into her, dropping kisses across her shoulders and back. He reached around, pulling her up, his weight and hers resting on his knees.

"I swear I've never had it like this," she groaned, squeezing her breasts, biting at her bottom lip.

"Tell me more," he grunted.

"You fuck me better than anyone ever has," she said, her voice rough with desire.

"Oh God," he spat, pounded into her faster as they raced to their climax.

They lay still in the darkness, the heaviness of their breathing the only sound in the room until she spoke.

"That was so incredible," she whispered.

"Yes, mind blowing," he sighed.

She laughed, rolling towards him, "_Mind blowing_? Who are you?"

"Well, according to you, I'm the man who fucks you better than anyone else ever has," he said, laughing as he slid his hand around to cup her ass.

"Hey, that's no fair. You can't use what I say when we're doing it."

"_Doing it_? Really, Penny? Can we get in my pickup truck and go down to the crick and _do it?_"

"Okay, ya weirdo, what do you want to call it?"

"Um, making love, of course."

"Ew, that's cheesy and old, _Grandpa_."

"Then what?"

"Fucking. Yeah, I like fucking. Let's go with that."

"It's so crude."

"Says the man who loves dirty talk."

"Hey!" he laughed, pulling her on top of him and kissing her wildly.

**~s/p~**

Penny woke uncharacteristically early the next morning, the weight of Sheldon's arm slung across her midsection pinning her securely to the mattress. She scooted around until she could see him and lay in the quietness of morning watching him sleep. The peacefulness of his face, his eyes fluttering along with some dream, his mouth slightly opened from deep, easy breathing, moved her to tears. She loved this man in ways she never knew existed. For the first time in her life, she loved someone more than herself. The thought overwhelmed her.

"Sheldon?" she whispered, stroking her fingertips over his cheek.

"Hmmm?"

"I'm gonna go to Starbucks for coffee. I'll grab some bagels while I'm there, okay? I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Mm 'kay..."

"I love you, you beautiful man."

"Mmmm love too," he mumbled, still lost in sleep.

Reaching for her purse, Penny stopped, hearing voices in the hallway. Pressing her ear to the door, she heard Mary Cooper laughing quietly.

"Shhh, quiet Eric, you'll wake Sheldon and Penny."

"Last night was amazing, Mary."

"I hope the Lord will forgive me, but yes, it really was."

"I'm going home to clean up and change clothes, I'll be back in a few hours and we'll drive into Hollywood for lunch, okay?"

"It sounds divine."

Penny silently cracked the door open and watched her boyfriend's mother wrap her arms around Eric Gablehauser and kiss him like there was no tomorrow. Mary remained in the doorway, until he disappeared down the stairs, out of sight.

Penny pulled the door open and stepped into the hallway with a wide grin directed at Mary.

"Morning, Mary."

"Oh, good morning Penny. I was just...well...checking for a newspaper. I was hoping you had one delivered to your door."

Penny laughed, "Come on Mary, you want to add lying to your list of sins this early in the morning?"

"What?"

"I heard Doctor Gablehauser leaving. He spent the night, didn't he? Gosh, and you guys were _unsupervised_ and all. The horror," Penny said, grinning at Mary.

"Penny..."

"And from the sound of it, not to mention that kiss you laid on him before he left, I suspect you guys were doing more than reading Bible verses to each other."

"Oh my. Penny, please don't tell Sheldon."

"Mary, please don't ask that of me. I won't lie or keep things from Sheldon. I can't do that to him."

Mary gave her a long, hard glare.

"You really do love my boy, don't you?"

"More than my next breath, yes."

"Well, as someone pointed out last night, we're all adults here, right?"

"Welcome to California, Mary, Land of the Heathens."

Mary laughed, "Well, Shelly did tell me you had a great sense of humor."

Penny smiled at her, "I'm on my way to Starbucks. You want anything?"

"Yes, hang on I'll grab my purse and go with you if it's okay."

"I'd love the company, Mary."

Penny pulled the door open for Mary, then stepped out onto the sidewalk. The California air was already heavy with heat and grime. She heard Mary screech, a deep, wailing scream coming from her. Penny wondered why someone was popping firecrackers so early and spun around to find the source of the early morning intrusion.

"Gun!" someone yelled, a stranger's voice, a pedestrian on the street.

Penny ducked, doing a rapid scan of her surroundings. Turning to her right, she saw Mary crumpled on the pavement. Gasping for air, she dropped to her knees next to her, screaming her name, blinded by fear and tears.

"Oh God! Mary? Mary!"

Penny heard the sound of struggle, people yelling, another bang, and then her world went black.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys, I've loved reading your comments! Glad you are enjoying the fic (even if you are mad at me...LOL!). I'm just trying to do my part in keeping us entertained until season 7 starts on Thursday! I'm posting these next two chapters because I hate cliffhangers and I don't want you guys to have to wait too long. I wrote this a month or so ago and it was kind of cool to go back and read it today and think back to where my mind was when I was writing it. I won't bore you with the details, but I did have inspiration. ;)**

**Shenny forever!**

CHAPTER 18

Police cars swarmed the street, then came an ambulance, all screeching to a stop with sirens blaring. Mary Cooper felt gravel against her cheek and slowly opened her eyes. The shooting had stopped and she quickly became aware of the commotion from the crowd around her. She pushed up to a sitting position and slowly ran her hands across her body, checking for wounds. While her knee throbbed with pain, everything else appeared to be fine.

"Thank you Jesus," she whispered.

She shook her head to clear it, taking a moment to process what had just happened. She'd seen the gun, heard the first shot and dropped immediately to the ground, acting as if she were shot just as her self defense classes in Houston had taught her. _Fake dead_, is what her instructor had repeated over and over. "If the shooter thinks he's killed you he'll move on."

As she began to regain clarity, she spun around, "Penny? Are you okay? Where are...oh no. No, no, no..."

Mary half crawled, half scooted to her son's girlfriend who was laying sprawled face down on the sidewalk just a few feet from her. Mary reached for her, jerking back when Penny screamed. It was then that Mary saw the blood on the sidewalk, on Penny's shirt, coming from the flesh that was visible through the burned fabric of her shirt where the bullet had entered.

Her hand stained with Penny's blood, she scrambled to her feet, waving her arms frantically over her head and yelling for attention.

"She was shot, my friend was shot! Help her!"

Within seconds Mary was surrounded by emergency medical workers and police officers.

"You know her?" a large policeman asked, pulling her to the side so the medical personnel could attend to Penny.

"Yes, yes...she's my son's girlfriend."

"What's her name?"

"Penny...Penny something...I can't think of her last name."

"And your name?" he said, scribbling quickly in a notebook.

"Mary, Mary Cooper."

"Are you okay? Were you hit?"

"No, no, I don't think so. My knee is banged up, but it's from falling to the ground. Oh God, I need to get my son. This is their building," she said.

"Just a minute, I'll need you to answer a few questions and make a statement."

"But Sheldon..."

"Who's Sheldon?"

"He's my son. I told you, Penny is his girlfriend," Mary croaked out, her throat dry with fear.

"Where is he?"

"I think he's still in bed. Penny and I were going out to get breakfast. I need to get him...what are they doing over there? Is she okay? Can I talk to her?"

"Stay right here, don't move and I'll check on her."

Mary fidgeted with her hands and chewed on her lip until it occurred to her to call Sheldon. She kept her eyes on the policeman as she fumbled through her purse to find her phone. She pulled it out and quickly scrolled to his name.

"Mom?" he answered in a sleepy voice.

"Shelly Bean! You need to get down here immediately."

"What?" he said, jolting awake and sitting upright.

"Penny's hurt Sheldon. I was going with her to Starbucks and when we came out the door..."

"Miss Cooper? They will be taking your friend to the hospital, she's been shot and has sustained a pretty substantial injury."

"Shelly!" Mary cried, "Get down here now. We are in front of the building. Hurry! Penny is hurt!"

"Oh God," Sheldon cried, untangling himself from the covers and scrambling out of bed. "Who is that talking, Mom?" he asked, snatching pants from his closet and stumbling to a dresser drawer for t-shirts.

"It's the police Shelly. They are making me get off the phone, just hurry and get down here."

Sheldon tossed the phone on his bed while jerking his sock drawer open, then scanning the room quickly for his shoes. He hopped towards the bed while dragging his pants up his legs, then grabbed for his phone, scrolling frantically as he pulled his socks on.

"Sheldon?"

"Raj, Penny is hurt. I need you to get here quickly to drive us. They are taking her to the hospital. Please come now. Hurry!"

"Oh my God, I'll leave now, I'm not far. Be calm Sheldon. I can tell you are scared but be strong for Penny."

"Hurry Raj!" he yelled, ending the call and standing to pull his shirts over his head.

Mary watched as they lifted an unconscious Penny onto a stretcher and then rolled her to a waiting ambulance. The lights were still flashing as the emergency workers loaded her into the rear of the vehicle. She rushed over and was stopped before she reached Penny.

"You need to stay back, Miss Cooper," the cop said, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her back.

"Can't I ride with her? And my son, he's her boyfriend, he'll be down here in a second."

"Sorry, no civilians allowed in the emergency vehicles. Here's the information, directions to the hospital are on this paper."

"But..."

"Miss Cooper, I know you are in shock, but I need you to focus. Did you see the shooter? Can you give me any description who may have done this?"

He handed her a bottle of water and she slowly twisted the cap off, watching as the ambulance pulled away from the curb. Willing her mind to settle, to think, to process, she closed her eyes tightly, replaying what had happened.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

**~s/p~**

Raj rolled off the bed, snatching his pants from the floor and jerking them on.

"Amy, get up. That was Sheldon on the phone. Penny's been hurt, we gotta go."

When his girlfriend didn't respond, Raj turned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and found an empty bed.

"Amy?" he yelled, yanking his shirt over his head and running into her living room. Discovering he was alone, he grabbed his keys and ran out the door.

**~s/p~**

Amy pulled her car off the road, rolling to a stop in the parking lot of a fast food store. Gasping for air, she shoved her door open and hung her head out, vomit spewing from her mouth, splattering onto the pavement.

When nothing more would come out, she rinsed her mouth with warm soda that had been in her car for days, swirling the bitter liquid in her mouth, then spitting it to the ground. She fumbled for her phone, finding it in the passenger seat.

Locating the name she sought quickly because it was at the top of her list, she pressed it with a trembling finger.

"Please go through," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"Amy?" came the answer after only two rings.

"Alex?" Amy said, raking her hand through her hair.

"Yeah it's me. It's late here. Leonard's sleeping. Are you okay?"

"I took care of our problem."

Alex sat up and climbed out of bed, creeping across the floor to not wake Leonard.

"What? Already?"

"You wanted her out of the picture, right?"

"Yes."

"_Done_," Amy said, her voice cold and hard.

**~s/p~**

6 months earlier:

_They were standing alone in Sheldon's office, an awkward silence settling over them._

_"Please don't take him from me," Amy finally said._

_"Who?" Alex asked, settling into Sheldon's chair behind his desk._

_"Sheldon. We've been together for over a year now, almost two. I love him and I've worked so hard to make him love me back."_

_Alex laughed, "Doctor Cooper? I assure you I am not interested. He's not my type. You have nothing to worry about."_

_Amy eyed her closely, moving to take the chair across from her._

_"You're a smart, beautiful girl Alex. If not Sheldon, then who? What is your type?"_

_Alex grinned at her, "Promise you won't tell?"_

_"You have my word."_

_"Short, curly hair, glasses, experimental physicist..."_

_Amy's eyes went wide, "Leonard?"_

_"Yep. But I have a big blonde problem standing in my way."_

_"Penny," Amy said in a hushed tone._

_"You got it."_

_"I feel your pain, sister," Amy replied, closing her eyes and shaking her head in dismay._

_"Wait. What?" Alex asked, stunned at Amy's candor._

_"I've been worried about Penny since the day I met her."_

_"But I thought you guys were friends. In fact, I remember Doctor Cooper saying Penny was your best friend."_

_"Have you ever heard that saying, 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer?'"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Well, there you go. I've sensed from the beginning that there is something between Penny and Sheldon. I can't really put my finger on it, just some sort of weird attraction. They fight and argue and push each other's buttons. Sheldon can be yelling about her one minute, and then the next he is helping her with something. And Penny, she gets so pissed off at him, there have been times I thought she wanted to choke him. But then a minute later she's getting him food or driving him to the comic book store."_

_"Sexual tension. I've felt it between them too," Alex said gently._

_"God," Amy sighed._

_"Seems like we have the same problem, Amy. Penny is keeping me from Leonard and she is a constant threat to you and Sheldon."_

_"I've learned to live with it."_

_"And is that what you want? Always looking over your shoulder to see if Penny is on your heels, knowing that any time she wants she can swoop in and take Sheldon from you?"_

_"Well, what choice do I have? I can't accuse her of something she hasn't done. But yes, it hangs over me like a dark cloud."_

_"We always have a choice," Alex said, reaching for her purse._

_"I don't understand."_

_"I have an uncle, Uncle Chuck. He is good at taking care of things, making problems go away. You interested?"_

_"I'm not sure what you are talking about, Alex."_

_"I'm going to write his number down for you. He owns a store, he runs things. He has two guys that work for him, Bill and Steve."_

_"And?"_

_"And they can make Penny disappear, irrelevant."_

_"What?"_

_"We tell him how Sheldon and Penny are with each other, how they sparkle when they are together. He'll fix it where she and Sheldon can't even be in the same room together anymore."_

_"And how exactly will he do that?"_

_"As long as Penny isn't top girl with Sheldon anymore, do you really care? Penny is over, there's a new girl in town and her name is Amy. Uncle Chuck will make Sheldon forget Penny ever even existed."_

_"And what do you get out of this if I call him?"_

_"Well, Chuck, Bill and Steve reduce Penny's role in the guys' lives. Leonard, as you and I know, will never turn down sex...I'm there offering him something he can't resist, and bam! Penny is not longer an issue."_

_"I don't know, Alex. Penny has been good to me. She's helped me with Sheldon, told me how to act, what to say, what to cook for him..."_

_"Here," Alex said, sliding the card across the table towards Amy, "this is Chuck's number. Think about it, use it only if you want, if you really start to feel threatened by Penny. If you decide you don't want it, throw it away. But you have it if you need it."_

_"And in the meantime?"_

_"In the meantime, I'm going to do anything I can to get Leonard alone."_

_"Thanks, Alex. It's nice to have someone to talk to."_

_"Just call Uncle Chuck, Amy. He'll make it seem as if Sheldon and Penny never even had a history before you came along."_

**~s/p~**

"_Amy_," Mary heard her son's ex-girlfriend's name tumble out of her mouth.

"Mom!" Sheldon yelled as he pushed the glass door open and hurried towards her.

"This your son?" the cop asked, turning towards Sheldon.

Mary nodded and stepped towards Sheldon, pulling him into a hug.

"Where's Penny?" he squawked, his eyes darting from his mother to the police officer.

"They took her to the hospital, Shelly."

"Oh my God," Sheldon cried, frantically, scanning the parking lot for Raj's car.

"She was shot, Mister Cooper."

"It's _Doctor_ Cooper, and which hospital did they take her to?"

Mary waved the paper the police officer had given her in the air, "I've got all the information here, Sheldon. We just need a ride."

"Not so fast, Miss Cooper. You still need to answer my questions. This is an official investigation and I can't let you leave until you talk to me."

Sheldon spotted Raj pulling into the parking lot and bolted towards the car.

"There's Raj, Mom. Will you be okay here? He can get me to the hospital fast," Sheldon said, already moving towards the car.

"Yes, yes, you go ahead Sheldon. I'll answer their questions and then call Eric to come drive me to the hospital. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Sheldon jumped in the car with Raj, screaming the name of the hospital at him, pleading with his friend to get there fast.

The cop standing next to Mary cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Did I hear you say a name, Miss Cooper?"

"Yes."

"You know the person that did this?"

"Yes."

"The witness over there talking to my partner gave a description. Long, stringy brown hair, glasses, kind of frumpy. That sound about right?"

"Yes."

The officer sighed, "I see. Tell me everything."

"The shooter is my son's ex-girlfriend."

Within seconds the entire Pasadena Police Department was on the lookout for Amy Farrah Fowler.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: In an episode (don't remember the name of it) Amy made reference to a prince named Faisal that is her fiancé. I've often wondered why they did that or if it will play a part in a future episode. I'm using that little bit of canon in this chapter. **

CHAPTER 19

"Leonard?"

"Howard? It's the middle of the night here. What the hell?"

"It's Penny. She's been shot."

**~s/p~**

Sheldon paced in the hallway, Raj matching him step for step.

"Why aren't they telling us anything?" Sheldon hissed, jerking his head from side to side, seeking anyone that looked remotely like they could have information about Penny's condition.

"Dude, I know it's scary, I'm scared too. But they are doing everything they can in there right now to help her. Let them do their job. The best thing we can do is stay out of the way."

"And pray," came a female voice.

They both turned to find Mary Cooper and Eric Gablehauser joining them in the waiting room.

"Mom!" Sheldon said, rushing to her and taking her in his arms. "Are you okay? I'm sorry I left so soon without asking how you were."

"Oh Honey, it's okay. You are right where you need to be, you job is to take care of Penny. She'd do the same for you."

"So you are not hurt?"

"Her knee is a little banged up," Gablehauser interjected, "we got it cleaned and bandaged. There will probably be some bruising."

"Is Penny okay? That's the most important thing."

"We don't know, they won't tell us a thing other than she was shot and they are working on her. They haven't even let me see her yet."

"Oh Shelly..."

"Tell me what happened, Mom. Were you guys robbed?"

Mary shook her head and looked from Sheldon to Eric, "Son, I think you need to sit down."

Sheldon clenched his fists, "No. I want to know who did this. I'll make sure they are punished to the fullest extent of the law."

"Sheldon," Eric said, moving towards him, "this is much more than some thug trying to steal a purse. This is very serious and the police want to speak with you. They will be here soon so you need to listen."

"What? Why do they need to speak with me? I was in bed and didn't see a thing. All I care about right now is that Penny is going to be okay."

Mary moved to take a seat on the sofa, patting the space next to her, "Come sit with me Sheldon, I need to tell you what happened."

**~s/p~**

Leonard flung his clothes into the duffle bag on his bed, grabbing for his inhaler as he did so.

"Why are you leaving?" Alex huffed.

"I told you, Penny has been shot."

"Yeah, I heard you. But why do you have to go? Howard said he was going to the hospital and would call you as soon as he knows how she is."

He took a long draw off the inhaler, then shoved it in his pocket, turning to face her.

"Look, the captain said we will be close enough to dock in Scotland in less than half an hour. If I don't get off this boat then, it will be three more days before we are near dry land again. I have to go now. He'll dock near Edinburg just to let me off. He said they needed a few supplies anyway, so I got lucky. I'll have to fly to New York, then change planes and fly the rest of the night to get back to California."

"I just don't know why you have to go. She has plenty of friends there to help her and besides that, you guys broke up. You're with me now," Alex said, wringing her hands anxiously.

"Listen, Alex," Leonard said, turning to face her, taking her trembling hands in his, "this, our time on the ship, has been great, really great. But you knew going into this that I still had feelings for Penny. And yeah, she and I did break up before I left to come here, but it was only because she knew I would want to hook up with somebody while I was out at sea. She's very aware of my, uh, _needs_, and was just trying to accommodate me."

"I see," Alex said, pulling away from him, "so that's all this has meant to you then? I was just some girl that was here to accommodate your needs?"

"Well," he mumbled, "it sounds bad when you say it that way."

"So how should I say it, Leonard? Did I mean nothing to you?"

"Look Alex, I like you, I really do. And I'm not saying we'll never hook up again. But right now, all I can think about is getting back to Penny."

"Hook up?" she yelled, her face reddening, spittle flying from her mouth, "that's all this was? Hooking up?"

"Well, yeah," he said, zipping his bag and brushing past her, "I gotta go now, I'll see you back in Pasadena."

She reached to slam the door behind him, then peered out the peephole of the door, watching until he disappeared from sight down the long hallway.

"Fuck you," she whispered, whipping out her phone and pressing Amy's name.

"Where are you?" she snapped when Amy answered.

"At home," Amy said in a hushed tone.

"Leonard is leaving to come be with Penny."

Amy shook her head, "I'm not surprised. I think our plan may have backfired."

"Is she dead? Did you kill her?"

"I don't know, Sheldon's mom was with her. I wasn't expecting that. It kind of threw me off a bit. I think I may have got them both. But if either of them can talk, they'll be able to identify me."

"God, Amy. What happened? I thought the plan was for Uncle Chuck to take her out. Why were you even there?"

"I don't know, Alex. It just hurt so bad, I couldn't take it anymore. I tried to forget him, tired to have a relationship with Raj, but I just couldn't get over Sheldon. The more I thought about it, the more it hurt. He broke my heart and I wanted to get even. The only thing I could think of that would hurt him just as badly was if I took Penny from him. That would break his heart, then we'd be even."

"Oh Amy," Alex sighed, only then realizing the fragility of her friend's emotional state. "You have to get out of there. You have to go somewhere, if Penny or Sheldon's mom can identify you, they will turn you in to the police."

"I've taken care of that. I have a Saudi Arabian fiancé with deep pockets. He has underground connections here in the States. He's contacted his people and they will be here any minute to get me out of California."

"What?" Alex asked, perplexed by Amy's calm rationality.

"Yes, his name is Faisal and he lives in Riyadh. He's been the source of the majority of the funding for my lab and research."

"Damn girl, I had no idea."

"Yeah, I've kept him on the back burner in case things didn't work out with Sheldon."

"I see. Well, will you be able to contact me later and let me know how you're doing?"

"I don't know Alex. I'll try."

"Okay, well good luck. And Amy?"

"Yeah?"

"Please, if the police get to you before you can escape to Saudi Arabia, please don't mention my name."

Amy laughed bitterly, "Oh, don't worry Alex. It's clear to me now that you are pure evil. You aren't done with these people, are you? No matter what happens with Penny, whether she's alive or not, I still hate them all. I plan to watch from afar as you unleash your wrath on them."

"Yeah, you do that" Alex said before hitting the end button on her phone.

Within minutes, Faisal's men has swooped in and hurried Amy down the back stairway of her apartment building. When the Pasadena police arrived at her home, the apartment had been swept cleaned. The only thing remaining was a small bag with Raj's personal effects.

**~s/p~**

"Amy did this?" Sheldon bellowed, his face going pale as he stood from the sofa in the waiting room of the hospital.

"Yes," Mary said, standing to put her arm around his shoulders.

"But why, Mom? I don't understand, Amy is our friend."

"Sometimes people just snap, Sheldon," Eric said, looking to Mary and shrugging.

"But it makes no sense. Amy is a good person. She's bright, intelligent, she has a doctorate. I don't understand" Sheldon said, tears forming in his eyes.

"I think I do," Raj said, shaking his head and cramming his hands in his pockets.

"What?"

All eyes turned to him.

"Yes, everything is starting to make sense to me. You know, Sheldon, that Amy and I were in a relationship."

"Yes, and I thought you were very happy."

"Well, we were for the most part, but I have to be honest with myself and with you. She never got over you, Sheldon. We even broke up once because she was still hung up on you. Then she finally came to me after she spoke with you and Penny. She said she finally got it, you two were together, she needed to move on.

"Yes," Sheldon said, "those are the exact words she said to me too. I still considered her a friend, Penny and I both did."

"Yeah, but there were times," Raj said, "when I could see the pain in her eyes. Anytime your name was mentioned, it was there. I tried to convince myself that she was over you, but I knew...I knew she still cared for you. She told me more than once that you'd broken her heart."

"And that gives her reason to shoot Penny?" Sheldon squawked, pulling away from his mother.

"Calm down, Shelly...please...remember, Penny is what's most important right now. You aren't going to do her any good if you are this angry. Let the police handle it."

"Mister Cooper?"

"It's _Doctor_ Cooper," Sheldon snapped, turning towards the physician.

"My apologies," the woman said, extending her hand to him, "I'm Doctor Fredrick, I've been working on Penny. The attendants have you listed as her next of kin?"

Sheldon cleared his throat, "I'm her...her _fiancé_...her family lives out of state. This is my mother Mary and our friends, Raj and Eric."

"Very well," she said, nodding to the others, "I wanted to update you on Penny."

"Is she okay?" Sheldon asked, tears now freely falling down his cheeks.

Doctor Fredrick smiled at him, putting a reassuring hand on his arm, "Yes she is. She is a very lucky young lady. The bullet grazed her side, it broke the skin, nipping the ribcage. She has a couple of cracked ribs and some bruising. She'll be in quite a bit of pain for a week or two, but then she should get back to normal. You have a lot to be thankful for."

"Praise Jesus," Mary sighed, giving her son a quick hug.

"Can I see her?"

"Yes, in just a few minutes. They will be moving her from recovery to a private room. I'm going to keep her a couple of nights just to make sure we don't have any infection or clotting since it came close to the lungs. If all goes well, she'll be able to go home day after tomorrow."

"Thank you doctor," Sheldon said, attempting to wipe his tears away, "Thank you for taking care of Penny. She's my life."

"I understand," the doctor said. "I'll have someone come for you when she is placed in a room."

Howard and Bernadette arrived just as the doctor was leaving.

"Oh God, is she okay?" Bernadette cried, rushing to Raj.

"Leonard's on his way," Howard added, rolling his eyes towards Sheldon.

"What?" Sheldon spat, "No, he's on a ship in the middle of the North Sea."

"I don't know man," Howard said, "I called him right after Raj called and told me Penny had been shot. I thought he deserved to know. Then a few minutes later I got a text from him saying that he was getting off the ship and flying home."

"My God," Sheldon said, storming off from the group.

"Can somebody please tell me how Penny is?" Bernadette asked again.

As the others filled Howard and Bernadette in on Penny's status and what Amy had done, Eric slipped away to find Sheldon. After asking around, he finally located him in the outdoor courtyard of the hospital.

"Doctor Cooper?" he said sternly.

"What?" Sheldon mumbled, dragging his hand though his hair.

"What's your concern with Hofstadter coming home? Are you that insecure in your relationship with Penny?"

Sheldon glared at him, "I am quite secure in Penny's love, and in mine for her. I just don't want to deal with Leonard's issues and his obsession with Penny. He's going to hate me for this and he's going to try to persuade her to come back to him."

"And do you think she would do that?"

"No."

"Then wipe your tears and get your ass in there. Penny is going to need you to be strong. Be a man. You are brilliant and are certainly capable of handling the likes of Leonard Hofstadter."

Sheldon took a deep breath, "You're right, Gablehauser. Penny is mine and I'll fight to the death for her if I have to."

"There it is. That's what I like to see in my employees...and in my future stepson."

"What?"

"Yes. Now may not be the best time to tell you, but I'm telling you anyway because I want you to know that I have your back. I'm still pissed off at what Hofstadter and that bunch did to you on the Arctic trip. He never did pay for that. This time around, you've got me on your side. Your mother and I plan to marry and I'd like to know that I have your blessing and also, that you are not alone."

Sheldon studied the man in front of him, uncertain if he wanted to punch him or pull him into a hug. But he did like the idea of knowing that he had Gablehauser on his side. With Leonard coming home, he knew he'd need someone and he wasn't sure if he could depend or Raj or Howard to support him. But more than that, he liked knowing that his mother would no longer be alone, that she had found someone to love.

"_Love, Sheldon, is good for you_," he recalled his mother telling him the night before.

"You have my full support," Sheldon said, standing up, stretching to his full height, "as long as you are good to her. But treat her badly and you will feel the full effects of my wrath."

Gablehauser laughed, "Well I don't want to suffer the wrath of Doctor Sheldon Cooper. I swear to you, I'll love her till the day I die."

"Very well. Now, I'm going in there to claim my woman."

**~s/p~**

"Penny?" Sheldon whispered, gently taking her hand in his.

"She's still out from the drugs," the nurse said as she checked the IV that was attached to Penny's arm.

"How long?" he asked as he lightly traced his fingers along her skin.

"Uh, probably another half hour. She woke up a little bit in recovery but she was in so much pain we gave her another shot of morphine. Just a small dose, though. But to be honest, she'll probably be groggy, in and out of awareness most of the day."

"Oh."

"Yes, we plan to keep her pretty comfortable and out of pain. She's got a morph pump, so we'll keep it going most of the day. She'd going to be hurting for awhile. But she's a lucky girl. Another few inches and you and I wouldn't be sitting here."

"God."

"Yeah. I don't know what happened, but I hope they get whoever the jerk is that did this to her.

"Yes, you and I both."

"Is your name Sheldon?"

"Yes."

The nurse smiled at him, "She was asking for you. I was there checking her chart when she came to and she said your name several times. That's how I know who means the most to my patients. When they are coming out of anesthesia, the name they say is always the one that means the most to them, it's the one they love. Your girl here? She loves you."

He returned her smile, "Thank you for sharing that with me."

"Anytime. See that button there? You press it if you need anything. I'll be out at the nurses station. My name is Anne, by the way."

"Thanks Anne."

"Shelly?" Mary poked her head in the door and gave him a tight smile.

"Yes Mom?"

"The police are here. They'd like to speak with you. They said it wouldn't take too long, just a couple of questions. I'll sit with Penny while you talk to them, okay?"

Sheldon stood, "If she opens her eyes, come get me immediately."

"I promise, Shelly Bean," she said, pushing up on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"Doctor Cooper?"

"Yes?"

"I'm detective Hanks. I need to ask you a few questions please."

"That's fine, but make it quick. I don't want to be away from Penny."

"I understand."

Sheldon glanced around, spotting his friends in the small lounge at the end of the hallway.

"Can you please tell me everything you know about Amy Farrah Fowler?"

"Is it true detective? Is Amy the one who did this to Penny?"

"Yes sir, she is."

"And how are you so sure?"

"Well, your mother identified her, says she met her a while ago when you were dating her. Also, we have a witness who happened to be passing by and saw the entire incident. He identified her from a picture line up. And most compelling, fortunately, there are city video cameras everywhere, at every intersection. We caught the whole thing on tape."

"Oh God," Sheldon whispered.

"Yeah, it's pretty graphic. But it leaves no doubt she did it. Now we are just trying to figure out why."

Sheldon shook his head, "She loved me. I was never able to return her feelings. I broke up with her and started dating Penny. I guess she just didn't know how to deal with it."

"Unrequited love, got it."

"Has she been arrested?"

The detective cleared his throat, "No, unfortunately she got away. Her apartment was completely cleaned out, like she disappeared into thin air."

Sheldon gasped, hardly able to grasp what he was hearing.

"Listen, I know you are still in shock and are wanting to be with your girlfriend in there. Just keep in mind we may need to question you later when you've had some time to process what happened. In the meantime, here's my card. If you think of anything else that may be helpful to this investigation, please call me."

"Yes sir," Sheldon said, taking the card and stuffing it in his back pocket.

"Is there anything else, Doctor Cooper? Anyone you can think of that could shine more light on this?"

Sheldon lifted his eyebrows and nodded his head towards his friends, "Down there, those are my friends. You'll find an Indian man, his name is Doctor Rajesh Koothrapoli. He was dating Amy. He might be able to help you."

He watched as the detective strolled down the hallway, then Sheldon turned and made his way back to Penny.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for your beautiful reviews and comments. You make this so much fun! I have a lot of PMs in my box and I just want you guys to know I'm not ignoring anyone, I just haven't had time to reply yet, but I will be doing that in the next day or so. I'm focusing all my spare time on editing this fic and getting it posted. I hope to have it completed by Thursday when season seven starts. It's all written, I just didn't realize how much time I would have to put into editing it. I'm trying to decrease some of the smut and violence...dang...I embarrass my own self...sigh...so I'm having to do some time consuming re-writing. As always, thanks for your support!**

**Shenny FTW!**

CHAPTER 20

"Where the hell is she?" Leonard barked as he entered the hospital through the tall glass doors.

Leonard had phoned from the cab, alerting his friends that he was on the way and Howard had gone to the lobby to meet him.

"She's up on the seventh floor," Howard said slowly, still wondering if or when he should fill Leonard in on Sheldon and Penny's budding relationship.

"Take me to her," Leonard commanded, slinging his canvas duffle bag over his shoulder.

Howard turned on his heel, leading Leonard to the elevators. When they were finally inside, leaning uncomfortably against the back wall, Howard shook his head and took in a deep breath.

"Leonard, before you get to her room, we need to talk."

"Oh God," Leonard said, his eyes going wide with fear, "Penny...is she...did she not make it?"

"No, no, she's fine, really. A little banged up, but they say she is going to be okay, just sore for awhile."

"Then what is it?"

"It's about her...and _Sheldon_."

"Oh God, what's that nut bag done now? Is he here?"

"Oh yeah, he's here. Boy, is he here."

"So what is it?"

Howard watched as they passed each floor, organizing his thoughts, sorting his words. The elevator dinged, alerting them to their destination. The doors spread apart, the bright fluorescent lights of the seventh floor spilling into the elevator.

Leonard stepped out first, "What's the room number?"

"Wait. I said we need to talk."

"Listen Howard, I just want to see Penny, let her know I'm here and make sure she is okay. We can talk later."

Spotting Raj and Bernadette in the hallway, Leonard quickly made his way to them, looking just past his friends, eying Penny's name posted on a door a few feet behind them.

"Can I go in?" he ask breathlessly, looking from Raj to Bernadette.

"Dude," Raj sputtered, glancing back at Howard.

"You didn't talk to him?" Bernadette hissed at her husband.

"I tried."

"You'll have to wait, Leonard," Bernadette said softly, "Sheldon is in there with her now."

Leonard rolled his eyes, "I think I take precedence over Sheldon. What's he even doing here? He's scared of hospitals."

Leonard moved to step past his friends, his arm outstretched to push the door to Penny's room open.

"Not so fast, Doctor Hofstadter."

Leonard twisted around to confront the person that gripped a handful of his hoodie and he came face to face with Eric Gablehauser.

**~s/p~**

"Sheldon?" Penny's raspy voice was just above a whisper.

"I'm here," he said, scrambling to his feet.

"What happened? Where am I?"

Her vision was cloudy and she pressed her eyes together, lifting her hand to swipe at them then realizing she was attached to an IV, the needle in her arm making its presence known.

"You're okay," he sighed, dipping down to press a kiss on her forehead.

Penny tried to swallow but her mouth was incredibly dry, her tongue the texture of wet cotton. She felt the warmth of his hand slide around hers and she opened her eyes again and peered up at him.

"Hi Texas."

He forced a smile in hopes of comforting her.

"Hello Nebraska."

"Do you have water?"

"I do."

He turned to pour a small amount in the styrofoam cup the nurse had given him, then inserted a plastic straw and moved it to her lips.

"Thank you."

Sheldon nodded, batting back tears, relieved to find the usual sparkle in her eyes.

"Anything else?" He asked while again taking her hand in his.

"Tell me," she whispered, her lips sticking together as she spoke.

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"You were shot, Penny. Luckily the bullet just grazed your side, it broke the skin's surface and came frighteningly close to your lungs, but thank God it didn't meet with any organs. You have a couple of cracked ribs from the impact, but the doctor says you will be fine. They are just keeping you here to make sure there are no further problems."

Images began to flash through Penny's mind...firecrackers...Mary Cooper falling to the ground...a gun...and then, _Amy_.

"Your mom," she said, her voice high now, as she tried to push herself up.

"She's okay, she just fell. She's out in the hallway."

"Amy." Penny breathed out, her head falling back onto the pillow.

"You remember?"

"Yeah. But why?"

Sheldon pressed his hand against her cheek, "I don't know, Penny. I suppose she was upset about you and me being together. Her motivation is of little concern to me."

"Is she...is she in _jail_?" The last word rolled off her tongue like poison.

He nervously cleared his throat, "No. They went to get her and she was gone. Her apartment had been completely cleaned out. It's quite odd, really."

Penny tried to sit up again. "I want to go home."

"Penny, while you are fine, there is always the slight possibility that an infection or other complications could occur. You need to stay here until the doctor officially releases you."

"No, I need to find Amy. I need to know why she would do this. And I need to tell the police I don't want to press charges."

"What? Have you lost your mind, Penny? Do I need to have a psychiatrist examine your head? Amy needs to pay for what she did."

"She's our friend. And we..._our relationship_...must have hurt her more than we realized."

"Penny..."

"I want to talk to her, Sheldon."

"To what end? Suppose you are correct, our relationship hurts her. Does that mean we break up, fall out of love, just to keep from hurting her feelings?"

"Sheldon...come on..."

"No," he said fiercely, "this is not acceptable. Do you not remember all we have gone though to get to each other? All the years we shoved our feelings under the rug for Leonard, and then for Amy? No, Penny, I will not jeopardize what we have. I love you too much."

"I love you too. It's just, Amy is our friend. Maybe if I talk to her I can make her understand. She's smart, she'll get it."

"No. She tried to kill you Penny. What part of _she had a gun_ do you not get? If she is willing to go to that length, I cannot and will not ever trust her again. She needs to be taken out of society and locked away so she doesn't harm you or anyone else ever again."

"Sheldon," Penny was whispering now, and he observed a single tear streak down her face.

"I know," he sighed.

"It's just...it's hard...I love Amy. I don't want her life to be ruined. Where is Raj? They were dating and starting to get serious."

"He was as stunned as the rest of us. He's in the hallway. Everyone's here, mom and Doctor Gablehauser, Raj, Howard and Bernadette...they all care for you, they all came to be here for you."

Penny sucked in a deep breath of air, gasping as the sharp, intense pain of her injury reminded her of why she was lying in a hospital bed.

"Okay...I get it about Amy...just...can I see your mom? I need to see her and know she is not hurt."

"Yes, here, drink more water and then I'll go get her."

"Sheldon?" she said softly as he moved the straw from her mouth.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for being here with me."

"Penny, where else in the world would I be?"

"Well, it's comic book night. You would be at Stuart's store."

Sheldon smiled at her, leaning down to kiss her cheek, "Penny. Penny. Penny. You are far more important to me than anything Stuart could ever stock in his store. For me, every night is _Penny Night _first and foremost."

**~s/p~**

"Doctor Gablehauser?"

"Hello Doctor Hofstadter. Shouldn't you be on a ship somewhere on the North Sea?"

"I...well, I got word about Penny and I needed to be here...with the different time zones, and layovers, I've been traveling all night just to be here."

"I see. And did she request your presence?"

"Well, uh, no. But she's my girlfriend and when Howard called to tell me, I knew I had to come be with her."

"Your girlfriend?" He asked, glaring at Howard before turning back to Leonard to lift an eyebrow, indicating his confusion.

"Yes sir, well, it's..._complicated_...but yeah, she's my girlfriend."

"Dude," Raj sighed, flopping down into the nearest chair.

"Leonard, I told you we need to talk. Can we do that now, please?"

Leonard looked from Gablehauser to the other men, then turned as he heard Mary Cooper enter the room.

"Leonard?"

"Mrs. Cooper? Hi...what are you doing here?"

"Well obviously I'm here visiting Sheldon. I thought you were on some boat or something."

"I was until Penny got shot. Now I'm here to see her...and I'm wondering why everyone is acting so weird. They told me Sheldon is in there with her. It's very nice of you and him to be here, but now that I'm here, you can take him home. I'll be staying the night with Penny."

Mary's eyes grew wide and she'd just opened her mouth to question him when Sheldon came out of Penny's room. They all watched him though the glass window as he walked towards the waiting room they occupied.

"Leonard?" His eyes locked in on his roommate.

"Hi Sheldon. Howard called me. I got here as soon as I could. Thanks for being here for Penny, I'm sure it meant a lot to her. How's she doing?"

Sheldon straightened his slumped shoulders, pulling up to his fullest height.

"She's fine," he said sharply. He felt his mother's hand land on his arm and was strengthen by her touch.

"Shelly Bean," Mary said softly, but firmly. It was the same tone she'd used for years to warn her brilliant son to chose his words carefully.

He turned to her, "She asked to see you, Mom."

Mary shot her eyes to Eric and he gave her an assuring nod.

Sheldon gave Leonard a pointed look before taking his mother's elbow and leading her to the door of Penny's room. They paused outside before entering, exchanging a whispered conversation.

"Leonard doesn't know about you and Penny does he?"

"No, but not because we've hidden it from him. Penny and I didn't become a couple until after Leonard had left for his trip. She dissolved their relationship before he left."

"I see. Well this could make for an awkward situation Sheldon. You need to pull him aside and tell him. You heard what he said, he still thinks she is his girlfriend."

"Yes. I will inform him otherwise. But he is not my top priority. Taking care of Penny is the most important thing. She's having trouble dealing with the fact that Amy did this. She's also concerned about your wellbeing, so please, Mom, just let her see you are okay. Then, try to explain to her that Amy must pay for her crime."

Mary pulled her son into a hug, then turned to enter Penny's room. Sheldon spun towards the waiting room, catching the eye of Doctor Gablehauser as he approached.

"Where's Leonard?"

"He said he was going to take a cab to the apartment to clean up. Says he's exhausted from his travel."

Sheldon shook his head, "When he comes back, I need to speak with him. I'll set him straight on mine and Penny's relationship."

"Yes, it's imperative that you do that. And just know you are not alone. You have people here that care for you and Penny. It may be difficult at first, but it'll work out."

"There's no other option. Leonard can accept it or not, but it will not be changing...not for him, not for Amy, not for anyone."

**~s/p~**

"Penny?" Mary's tone was warm and soothing and it reminded Penny of her own mother's sweet voice.

"Hi Mrs. Cooper. Are you okay?"

Mary approached her bedside and took Penny's hand in hers.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. And Eric and I have been saying prayers for you too, and we know you are going to be out of that bed in no time at all."

"Thank you," Penny smiled up at her. "Just, you know, take care of Sheldon for me until I can get out of here."

Mary laughed, "Oh Lord, you know I'll always take care of my Shelly Bean. Don't you worry about him. You just focus on feeling better."

"Do you remember anything about Amy shooting at us? I just, I remember seeing you fall and I was so scared. I thought you were shot."

"Yes, I remember it all. In fact, I've already spoken with the police a couple of times. I suspect that when you are feeling better, they'll want to speak with you too."

"I told Sheldon I don't want to press charges against Amy. I think, well, if Sheldon and me being together has whacked her out this much, I think she needs help...the kind of help she can't get in jail. Amy is not a bad person, I think she was just so in love with Sheldon. And she never knew how to act, how to treat him or express herself, and then when it was over, she didn't know how to deal with that either."

Mary grimaced, "And I can only imagine my son's reaction to that kind of hippy dippy reasoning."

Penny laughed, then grabbed her side in pain, "Oh, it hurts to laugh. But you are right, he was not very pleased."

Mary gently patted Penny's arm, "Listen, you just get well and we'll worry about all that other stuff later, okay? You need to sleep. I'm gonna force Sheldon to go to dinner with Eric and me, and I'll tell the rest of your friends to stay out of here for a few hours."

"Thanks Mary," Penny said, already closing her eyes and drifting into a drug induced slumber.

**~s/p~**

Leonard peered around the corner. He'd been baffled as to why everyone seemed intent on keeping him from seeing Penny. He was desperate to speak with her, to assure himself that she was okay, to let her know he was back and would take care of her. So what if he'd lied to his friends about going home for a shower. He'd do what was necessary to see Penny. It had become clear to him that something was going on, and he experienced a sharp pain in the center of his gut as it occurred to him that his early suspicions concerning Sheldon and Penny may have been true after all. He needed desperately to speak with Penny.

He watched as his friends huddled together down the hall, still uncertain as to why Doctor Gablehauser was even there. He knew there had always been something flirtatious between his boss and Sheldon's mom since the day Mary had gone to Gablehauser's office to help Sheldon get his job back, but he had been unaware that it had progressed beyond that.

Seeing Mary coming out of Penny's room, Leonard pulled back further behind the cylinder blocked wall to conceal himself. He watched as she returned to the waiting room with Sheldon and the rest of their friends. He listened closely, hoping for an opportunity to slip into Penny's room without their knowledge. He didn't have Vulcan hearing like his roommate, but that proved unnecessary when the Coopers began arguing.

"No Mom, I do not want to go eat. I'm staying here with Penny."

"Now you listen here, Sheldon Lee Cooper, you, and the rest of your friends," Leonard smirked as she spun around pointing an accusing finger at Raj and Howard and Bernadette, "are going to march yourselves downstairs to the cafeteria and put some food in that skinny body of yours. Penny is exhausted and she needs some rest. She could hardly keep her eyes open when I was just in there."

"But Mom..."

"Dude," Raj interjected, "listen to your mom. Penny would kick your ass if she knew you'd gone all day without eating. Come on, we'll all go. It's just downstairs, Bernadette's already told the nurse to page us if Penny needs us."

"Fine," Sheldon reluctantly gave in, rolling his eyes at them all.

Leonard stood back and watched as they stepped into the elevator, staying put until the doors closed behind them. When he was certain they were on their way down to the lobby, he stepped around the corner and headed for Penny's room. She was sleeping when he walked in and he moved silently to her bed.

"Still beautiful as ever," he whispered, fingering her long blonde locks that were spread about the stark white hospital pillow. He thought to bend and kiss her but decided against it for fear of waking her. Taking one last look, he shuffled to the chair next to her bed and slouched down into it.

Memories of their past played though his mind as he watched her sleep. He thought about the day they'd first met, how nervous he'd been when he invited her over for lunch...the jealously he'd felt when Penny had first gone to Sheldon's board and called him a 'beautiful mind kind of guy'...and the look the two of them had exchanged across the board...the look on his roommate's face, an expression of desire and confusion unlike any he'd ever witnessed on Sheldon Cooper's face.

Leonard shuddered at the memory, shaking his head vigorously to rid himself of it. He sighed and tried to push it out of his mind, to push out the fighting and the glares, the way he'd watched Sheldon's eyes follow her around their apartment thinking that no one had noticed. He pressed his eyes closed to the memory of Sheldon and Penny's first hug, how it had taken place right in front of him. It had bothered him for years that Penny had given the Nimoy napkin to Sheldon instead of him. She knew he was as much of a Star Trek fan and collector as Sheldon was.

He sunk further into the chair, trying to convince himself he was wrong, this was all some outlandish suspicion that held no evidence. He was exhausted and was sure that when she awoke she'd welcome him with open arms.

"Leonard?"

He batted his eyes open, shaking his head and taking a moment to remember where he was and why he was here. He'd fallen asleep sitting in the room watching Penny.

"Oh, hey...hey, Penny," he said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and standing to get a better look at her.

"What are you doing here?" she said in a sleepy tone, glancing around the room.

Leonard smiled down at her, taking his hand and swiping lose strands of hair from her face, "Hey, I get a call that my girl has been shot for God's sake, of course I'm gonna be here. I caught the first flight out and here I am."

"Where's Sheldon?" she asked, the combination of sleep and drugs blurring her speech.

"Uh, I don't know...I think he went to get some dinner."

"Oh."

Penny's mind was beginning to clear and she wished Sheldon was there to deal with Leonard. She was too sore and too weak to talk to him right now. She only wished he'd stayed on the ship.

"So how ya feeling?" he asked, bending down to kiss her, disappointed when she quickly turned her face, causing his lips to land on her cheek.

"Not good," she said, though it was a bit of a lie, as she actually did feel better after her short nap.

"So what happened, Penny? Did the police get the guy that did this to you?"

"You didn't hear?"

"No. What?"

"It was Amy, Leonard. Amy shot me."

"What?"

"Yeah."

"Why...why would she do that? She's your friend...and she's Sheldon's girlfriend...and...wait, did something happen between them?"

"Leonard, I'm so tired and feel really bad. I don't...I don't want to talk about it right now, okay?"

She laid her head back and closed her eyes, wishing him away. He took the hint and, believing she was asleep, stepped back to the chair. He'd just pulled out his phone to text Howard when his eye caught the sight of Penny's bare foot that had crept out from under the sheet which covered the rest of her body.

He twisted out of the chair but remained hunched over as he scooted closer. Glancing up at her to make sure she was sleeping, he pulled the sheet back, further revealing the intricate black script that indelibly marked the instep of her left foot. Taking his thumb, he softly moved it across the black ink and read it aloud.

"_Texas_. What the hell?"


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

Sheldon stood and grabbed his tray, using his thigh to push his chair under the table.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I dutifully ate dinner as requested, _Mom_, and now I am going back to Penny's room."

Mary sighed, "Go ahead, son. Everyone else is still eating. We'll be up shortly."

Sheldon quickly found his way though the maze of the hospital and was relieved to finally reach the door to Penny's room.

"Doctor Cooper?"

"Yes?"

"Did you speak with Doctor Hofstadter?"

Sheldon's eyebrows arched. "I beg your pardon?"

The woman shifted on her feet nervously. It had been well established at the nurse's station that Doctor Sheldon Cooper was not one any of them wanted to tangle with.

"Um, yes, the man that was here earlier visiting your fiancé. He said he was your roommate and friend...short, curly brown hair...hobbit like?"

Sheldon felt the heat rising in his face, torn between admonishing the nurse and demanding to speak with her supervisor or rushing to Penny's side to drill her on Leonard's visit. He chose to go to Penny, muttering incoherent complaints to the nurse.

"Penny?" he whispered, leaning over her and resisting the urge to shake her awake.

He watched her stretch, gently grabbing at her side as she did so, wincing at the pain her movement had caused. She blinked her eyes open and gave him a sleepy smile.

"Hi Moon Pie."

"Was Leonard here?" He believed in getting right to the point.

"Yes. And I need more water."

Sheldon poured the water and impatiently held the cup for her until she waved him away.

"Did he disturb you? Where is he?"

"Well, he didn't really disturb me, but I didn't feel like dealing with him. I talked to him for a minute then I went back to sleep. I don't know where he is now."

"Did you tell him about us? That you are mine?"

Penny stifled a laugh and reached the arm that wasn't attached to an IV up to trail her fingers along his cheek.

"I'm yours?"

"Penny, of course you are. And I am yours. Is there any doubt?"

"Of course not. I'm just messing with you, Sweetie. And no, I didn't tell him because I'm not exactly in the mood or the position to have that discussion with him."

Sheldon sighed with relief.

"I concur. I will speak with him when I get back to the apartment."

"Which will be soon. You look exhausted and need to go home and take a shower and get some sleep."

"As much as I would enjoy a shower, I can not leave your side. I'll vacate this hospital when you do."

Penny rolled her eyes, "Sheldon, no. That's crazy. I am totally fine. You said so yourself. I'm just staying here for them to watch me. Honestly, besides being a little sore, I really do feel much better. I think I could go home now even though I know they won't let me. But you, boyfriend of mine, need to go home now."

"I agree with Penny."

Sheldon turned to see his mother and Eric entering the room.

"But Mom..."

"No buts, Sheldon. You know how cranky you get with no sleep, and none of us want to deal with that. You stay here, next thing we know, you'll be passed out in the hallway and they'll be strapping you on a stretcher. Penny doesn't need that and neither do I."

"Listen to your mom, Sheldon. I'll be fine, really. All I want to do is sleep anyway. This medicine is making me so tired and I keep trying to stay awake to talk to all of you guys, but I really think I just need to sleep this off, okay?"

After a brief debate which everyone in the room knew Mary would win, Sheldon reluctantly agreed to leave for the night. Bernadette, Howard and Raj came in to check on Penny and tell her goodnight. Mary kissed her sweetly on the forehead and then told Sheldon she and Eric would wait for him in the lobby. When they were finally alone, Sheldon sat on the edge of her bed and softly stroked her arm.

"I'll miss waking to you in the morning, Penny."

"And I'll miss snuggling up next to you tonight, Sheldon. And stealing the covers from you, I'm really gonna miss_ that_."

He smiled down at her, "Really Penny, must you make a joke of everything?"

"Yes, I must, Doctor Cooper. It makes me happy, okay?"

"_You_ make me happy. It scares me to think of where I'd be right now if Amy weren't such a poor shot."

"Yeah, your mom and I both were really lucky. But let's not dwell on that, okay? I'm fine, your mom is fine..."

"Yes, we can discuss Amy and the ramifications of her actions at a later time."

"You just go home and rest. I'll see you first thing in the morning, okay?"

"Promise you will have the nurse call me if you feel even the slightest pain?"

"I will. And Sheldon? When you see Leonard tonight, just, you know, don't get into all this with him, okay? We need to talk to him together, just like we originally planned. It's gonna hurt him, but if we do it together maybe we can make it a little easier for him. He's our friend, remember?"

"Yes, well, Amy was our friend too and look how well that went."

**~s/p~**

The apartment was dark when he arrived. Sheldon had said goodbye to his mother and Eric in the hallway, too tired to question her concerning her relationship with his boss. He'd deal with that after he had Penny home safely. For now, he just wanted a shower and his bed. He was surprised, yet pleased, to find that Leonard had already turned in for the night, surly exhausted from the trip he'd just taken to get back to Pasadena. And to Penny.

He silently glided though the living room and into his bedroom to gather his pajamas and then quickly relocated to the bathroom, anticipating a long hot shower to rid himself of a day's worth of hospital germs. After drying off and dressing and brushing his teeth, he quietly opened the door and headed to his bedroom. He came to an abrupt stop at the sight of Leonard sitting on his bed, as he rounded the corner and stepped into his room.

"Leonard?"

"Hello Sheldon," Leonard said, squinting up at him over the rim of his glasses.

"What are you doing in my bedroom? Why aren't you asleep?"

"Well," Leonard said, pushing up off the bed, "I could't sleep until I spoke with my best friend, now could I?"

Sheldon huffed and moved past him, determined not to broach the subject of Penny at such a late hour.

"Very well, welcome home. I am not in the mood to converse with you right now. I'm tired and I have an early morning. Perhaps we can meet in the kitchen during breakfast for a quick discussion before I leave tomorrow."

Leonard glared at him, his fists twisting in the pockets of his robe. He watched as Sheldon pulled back his comforter, preparing for a night's slumber before turning to face him.

"I would like for you to leave my room now. Goodnight, Leonard."

Sheldon toed his slippers off and quickly twisted around onto the bed, sliding his legs beneath the covers.

"Sure," Leonard said slowly, taking a step towards the door, then turning back to look at Sheldon, "but before I do, would you mind letting me take a look at your feet?"

Sheldon jerked his head back, glaring pointedly at Leonard, "What?"

"Yeah, let me look at your feet, Sheldon."

"Leonard, perhaps you are delusional after your lengthy travel time. Or maybe you picked up some exotic bug on the ship. You're making no sense at all. Now please leave."

"No...no, I'm not going to leave until I see what I want to see. And you wanna know why? I'm willing to bet every comic book I own that you have Nebraska tattooed somewhere on that big foot of yours."

Sheldon felt heat rushing to his face, a combination of fear and anger slowly creeping up his chest, into his throat. He'd forgotten about his and Penny's mutual tattoos in the confusion and chaos of the day.

"I asked you to leave, Leonard."

"You know," Leonard hissed, ignoring Sheldon's words, "funny thing happened when I was visiting Penny in her room at the hospital earlier. She fell asleep and I had planned to stay the night with her, but imagine my surprise when I noticed writing on her foot. Now you and I both know Penny's no stranger to tattoos, so I wasn't concerned, mostly just intrigued at the idea of her having a new one. And you know what the really crazy thing is? Before I got close enough to read it, from a distance, I thought...I hoped...that it was my name."

"Leonard, really, it's late. We can talk about this tomorrow."

"Now, imagine my surprise when I got closer, close enough to touch it, that my best friend's home state was written on my girlfriend's foot."

Leonard laughed sarcastically and shot his hand out, peeling the covers off Sheldon, revealing his foot, and his Nebraska tattoo...the tattoo that was in the same location and with the same script as Penny's Texas marking.

"How dare you!" Sheldon hissed, swinging his legs over the edge and rising from his bed.

"How dare me? How dare _you_! I would think this was some kind of sick joke you two were pulling on me if I hadn't _felt_ her tattoo for myself."

"You_ touched_ her?" Sheldon roared, moving to tower over his roommate.

"Yeah, her foot, I touched her foot. But if you two are so close that you got matching tattoos, I suspect you, my friend, did more to Penny while I was away than just touch her foot. What'd you do, _Moon Pie_? Did you let Penny steal your virginity while I was away? You no longer the great Homo Novus? Did she let you fuck her since I wasn't here to do it?"

Sheldon's arms jerked upwards, grabbing fistfuls of Leonard's bathrobe, backing him violently towards the wall until they could go no further.

"Don't you ever, _ever_, disrespect Penny again," Sheldon hissed though gritted teeth. "I've watched you do it for years, but it's over now. You'll treat her like a lady or you'll answer to me. No snide comments, no insults, nothing. You got that?"

The Texan in him oozed out of every pore of his body as he stood trembling, holding Leonard in place firmly against the wall of his bedroom.

"Yeah, I got it," Leonard growled, "you waited until my back was turned for one second and you stole her from me. I've known for years you had a thing for her, you just weren't man enough to do anything about it. I've watched you watch her for a long time now. I'm not an idiot. I just never thought she'd lower herself to be with you. What a waste of a hot piece of ass."

"Take it back," Sheldon shouted, filled with a rage unlike any he'd known before.

"Man, you had a taste of..._coitus_...and you went crazy, huh? Penny's so damn good you decided you had to own her, you had to brand her with your damn name so everyone would know. _Texas_...such bullshit. But she got to you too because who would ever believe that the great Sheldon Cooper would submit to getting branded himself in a bacteria infested tattoo parlor?"

"I said, take it back before you're sorry." Sheldon was raging now, so furious he felt completely out of control, unsure if he could be responsible for his own actions.

"Too bad Amy missed," Leonard yelled, not backing down even though the taller man was stronger and positioned for attack.

Leonard's words ripped through Sheldon. He released his grip, slamming Leonard hard against the wall as he let go and pulled away, his fists balled, cocked back with intentions of landing a punch directly on his roommate's face.

The weight of Leonard's comment settled in the air between them, eyes wide, both men now gasping for their next breaths, neither believing what the shorter man had said.

"Do you mean that?" Sheldon finally squeaked out, opening his fists and dropping his hands to dangle at his side.

"No...no...I...you know I don't," Leonard stammered. "I just...I got caught up in my anger. I'm so sorry, you know I love Penny and would never wish any harm to come to her."

"My God, Leonard," he sighed, moving to sit on his bed. "We can't...we can't let this happen. Our friendship, and more importantly, _Penny_, means too much to us both."

"Yeah," Leonard said in a low voice, dragging his hands through his thick curls and slumping down beside Sheldon. "So what happened Sheldon? Between you and Penny, I mean? I think I at least deserve that much from you."

"Well, for the record, Penny and I had already made plans to talk to you together when you returned from your trip. Of course that was prior to her injury, something we could never have foreseen."

"So...you...you're in love with her?"

"Yeah, I am, Leonard. I've loved her since the day she stormed her way into our lives. It was just so foreign to me, these feelings I had for Penny. I didn't know what to do with them and you made it clear you wanted her. I buried myself deeper into my work, and then when Amy came along, I thought having someone...a female...in my life who was as accomplished in her field as I was in mine, well, I thought that would be enough for me."

"It never is, Sheldon."

"Yes, so I discovered. But you were still involved with her and I had Amy and there seemed to be nowhere to turn. And quite frankly, never in a million years could I have imagined Penny would feel for me the way I did for her."

"Sheldon," Leonard sighed, shaking his head and turning to meet his best friend's eyes, "I too felt it...witnessed it...from day one. I knew it, but I also knew you wouldn't know how to proceed and so I laid claim to her before you even had a chance to work out your feelings. I knew if I didn't, you would figure it out and make a move on her. But even though Penny and I finally got together, I always had my eye on you guys. The way she was so protective of you, the way you were so competitive with her...God, I tried to push it out of my head, but I knew all along that if I wasn't careful you two would figure things out. I just loved her..._still love her._..so much."

"She's mine," Sheldon said firmly, leaving no room for Leonard to think otherwise.

"I know, Sheldon. Don't worry, I get it. I won't interfere."

"I will hold you to that, Leonard. I won't stand for you meddling in my relationship with Penny. She and I..." he paused, swallowing hard.

"What...you and she...what, Sheldon?"

"We plan to spend the rest of our lives together Leonard. While we are not formally engage to be married, we will be one day. We've discussed it."

"God," Leonard sighed, "no wonder you were ready to beat the hell out of me."

"Leonard, while I am a physicist and certainly not a fighter, I would give my last breath for that woman. I'd fight to the death, even if that means fighting with my best friend."

Leonard laughed, both men glad for the broken tension, "Damn, you've got it bad."

Sheldon grinned at him, "Yeah, I really do."

Leonard stood and headed for the door, "Get some sleep, Sheldon. You've got a beautiful woman waiting to see you in the morning."

**~s/p~**

Leonard was still sleeping when Sheldon shuffled down the hallway to the kitchen. He'd just sat down at the island with his oatmeal when his mom knocked at the door. He checked his watch as he strolled across the living room. It was almost 7a.m.

"Hi Mom," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek then stepping back to usher her into this apartment.

"Morning Shelly Bean."

"Would you like oatmeal?"

"No thank you, Eric stayed the night and he and I had breakfast already."

"God, Mom. I don't want to hear about your sexual exploits with my boss so early in the morning." Sheldon turned up his nose, returning to his breakfast.

Mary laughed as she climbed onto the stool next to him.

"That's rich coming from my son who is practically living with a woman."

"That's different, Mom. Penny and I are not old. Besides, she's not my mother."

"Watch that mouth of yours, Sheldon Lee. Just because you are a grown man as you keep reminding me, doesn't mean I won't take a switch after you. I'm dating your boss now, so I can really punish you if you insist on being a smart mouth to your mother."

"Dating?" he gave his mother a sideways glance and half smile, "from what I heard yesterday, you are practically engage."

He watched as a grin overtook his mother's face, her skin pink and glowing, a pleasing combination of a slight blush and sheer happiness.

"Yes, Eric has informed me that he discussed our situation with you at the hospital yesterday. He says you gave him your blessing. Is that correct?"

Sheldon put his spoon down on the counter and pushed his bowl away, twisting his body to face her.

"Mom, remember what you said to me the first night you were here?"

"I'm embarrassed to say I said a lot, probably too much, to you and to Penny that night, Son."

He reached to take her hand in his, "You said 'love is good for you' and _that_, Mom, was exactly what I needed to hear. But it's not just for me. It's for you too. Love, Mom, is good for _you_ also."

"Oh Sheldon..." Mary wiped away a lone tear and smiled at him, "Honey, I never thought I see either of us like this. After what I went through with your father, I'd completely giving up on men. And you, well, you're such a...well, you're just so..._different_...I just never thought you'd see the benefits of loving another person."

He grinned at her, "Penny reformed me."

"And thank the Good Lord for that."

"So you and Doctor Gablehauser..._Eric_...tell me about it."

"Oh Sheldon...he's just, he's funny and sweet and smart. And he brings out feelings in me that I long thought had died. I'm almost fifty you know, I'd given up on love, I thought that part of my life was over. And now...well...he makes me feel like a twenty year old."

"Ah,"Sheldon smirked, "so that explains the school girl giggling I heard coming from Penny's apartment this morning."

"Watch your manners, young man," she laughed, reach out to gently pinch him on the forearm.

"So where is the love of your life right now, Mom? Why isn't he here with you?"

"Well, he had to take a shower and then get dressed. Even though he's off work this week, he's got to go by his office and get some paperwork so he's going to drop you off at the hospital on the way."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll be ready in fifteen minutes. Are you going to join me?"

"No, not right now. When Eric gets back, he and I are going to spend the day driving along the PCH, see the ocean, grab a bite to eat, just spend time together. Imagine that, a man such as him wanting to spend time with someone like me...just hanging out with no real destination."

He lifted his eyebrows, "A man like that wants to spend time with someone like you? What does that mean, Mom?"

"Well, you know, Shelly...let's face it, I'm just a country girl, barely have a high school education, never held down a real job, certainly not a career. And he's some uppity up muckety muck smart department head at that university of yours. Just, you know, it's like I never thought someone of his stature would look twice at a girl like myself."

"You realize you've practically just described Penny and me, right?"

Mary smiled at him. "I do."

"I'd venture to say, Mom, that it is Eric and myself that are the lucky ones. We are fortunate that you and Penny would look twice at two academics such as us who have had our heads buried in science most of our lives. Besides, there's something to be said for country girls."

She watched as a smile spread across his face and he gave her a knowing wink. Sheldon stood and pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her.

"Shelly? You haven't hugged me like this in years."

"And for that I'm sorry, Mom. You deserve every bit of happiness life gives you. Now have a good time today with Eric. I'll see you later this evening."

Mary reached to pull his head lower to hers, then pushed up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly, whispering, "Loving Penny has made you a better man, Sheldon."

**~s/p~**

Sheldon couldn't help himself. He heard voices coming from Penny's room and he paused in the hallway next to the half closed door and listened intently before making his presence known.

"So that tall, lanky fella is your guy, huh?"

"Yes, my guy...my...Sheldon."

"Girl, you got the crazy look of love in your eyes."

"Yeah, he's just...he's everything I could ever want...everything I've ever dreamed of...and more."

"More?"

Penny giggled and if Sheldon could have seen her, he would have noted the fiery red tint of her cheeks.

"He's brilliant and beautiful and so much better than me. I don't think I'll ever know why he loves me. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and this will all be some amazing dream. And then I'll have to live the rest of my life feeling this way about him while watching him fall in love with my best friend Amy."

"Wait. Amy? Isn't that the name of the lunatic who shot you?"

"Yeah. She...she used to sort of be in a relationship with Sheldon. And she and I were friends. When they broke up, he and I started dating. I guess it just hurt her so bad, she couldn't get over him. I think she just lost her mind, probably thought if she could take me out of his life she could have him back."

"Oh Lord, well there do be some crazy bitches out there. Now listen honey, your bandages are all changed so you just lay here and rest. You're doing good, if there is no infection, the doctor says you can go home tomorrow."

"Thanks Angie! And don't tell the others, but you are my favorite nursing assistant here. I don't think I could have made it though the night without all of you keeping me company. Sorry I was such a pain in the ass."

"Hey, there ain't no shame in being homesick and missing your man. Now, you just press the button if you need us, okay?"

"Got it!"

Sheldon stepped back when he heard her moving towards the door, smiling at the nursing assistant as she pulled the door open and found him standing there.

"Well, well, your ears must to be burning. That girl in there has talked about you all night long."

Sheldon smiled down at her and shrugged, "She's pretty special herself."

"Yeah well, she's a good one and you won't find another one that will love you the way she does. You better hang on tight to that one."

"I intend to," he replied, reaching to hold the door open, giving the nursing assistant a quick nod and moving inside Penny's room.

"Hi Texas," she grinned up at him from the bed, her appearance much brighter and more relaxed than the night before.

"Ah, my Nebraska," he sighed, bending to brush his lips across hers, lingering longer than necessary.

"Mmm...good stuff," she laughed, as he pulled away.

"Oh, if you like that, you're going love what's waiting for you at home," he teased.

"_Home_...funny how that word never meant too much to me until now...until you."

"You appear to feel better."

"Yeah, I really do. I got a little bit of sleep, not much, but a little rest goes a long way. And that heavy medicine is out of my system, so at least I'm not high anymore. Oh, and they made me get up and walk a little bit too, it helped work some of the soreness out. It still hurts, but I'm dealing with it."

"I see."

"Yep, and I got to eat some breakfast and then Angie, the one who just left, she helped me get a shower and fresh gown on. It still looks stupid but at least I'm just how you like me."

"Just how I like you?"

"Yeah, _clean_. Your favorite."

Sheldon traced his fingers lightly across her legs, his hand slowing when it reached the tattoo on her foot. He drug his index finger across each letter of his home state.

"Hey, that tickles."

"Leonard saw it last night," he said, rubbing over it gently with his thumb.

"Oh no..."

"Yes...apparently you had fallen asleep."

"Oh, God."

"And he saw mine as well."

"Sheldon..."

"He and I...we spoke about you, about us, last night."

"Oh Sheldon, I'm so sorry. I wanted us to do that together. I'm sure that was hard for you."

"We almost came to blows."

"Sheldon...no...this thing with Amy, and now Leonard...there's been enough violence."

"It's alright, Penny," he said, motioning for her to scoot, allowing enough room for him to sit beside her on the edge of the mattress.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he whispered, laying back and stretching out beside her, rolling to his side to face her.

"But..."

"Shhh...is this okay? I'm not hurting you am I?"

She smiled at him, her hand landing on his thigh and giving it a squeeze.

"It's perfect. I just can't move my arms to touch you like I want to."

"Then I'll do all the touching."

"You're such a bad boy," she laughed, sucking in a deep breath at the feel of his fingers moving up her legs, across her hips, his hand finally coming to a rest as he splayed it across her stomach.

He pushed her hair to the side, bringing his mouth to her ear, "I missed you last night."

"Mmmm...and what did you do about it?"

"Well, I thought about you..and then I..."

His fingers were moving again along the surface of her skin and he smiled when he felt her flesh prickle with anticipation.

"You?" she breathed out, trying to twist towards him, her body unable to comply.

"I watched our film," he huffed out with shaky breath.

"Sheldon!"

"You're not wearing panties."

"God," she whimpered, feeling the evidence of his desire pressing hard against her thigh. "You watched us and you got all turned on and..."

"And I had to take care of myself. It's not the same, but I never tire of watching us."

His hand had dipped lower now, moving slowly, exploring, causing her to drop her legs further apart.

"Don't you dare start something you can't finish, Sheldon."

"I wouldn't think of it."

"So...mmpphhh...last night...you jerked off...damn...while you watched us...so hot...Sheldon, you are really turned on..."

"Yeah I am," he whispered, sliding down the bed, completely losing himself in her heat.

"You are amazing," she sighed after he'd pulled a sheet up to cover her and then scooted back to the top of the bed to rest his head next to hers on the pillow. "I really needed that. Medicine's great and all, but nothing makes me feel as good as when you love me."

"So you aren't angry?"

"What? No, I'm surprised. I wanted it, I just never thought you'd do something like that in a hospital. Also, anyone could have walked in on us at any giving moment."

"I'm aware. I just...it's all I've been able to think about. I thought I could control myself, but seeing you laying here, loving you, wanting you, I couldn't stop myself."

"And I'm so glad you didn't."

"Well, you know, after you informed me you were clean and all, how could I possibly resist?"

"You're hilarious."

"Aren't I?"

"I'll pay ya back later, you know, when I can actually bend and move my arm."

"Yes well, until then I suppose I will have to rely on our movie."

"Uh, that would be the movie you _didn't_ want me to make?"

"I haven't a clue what you speak of."

"Oh Doctor Cooper, when you are bad, you are so, so bad."

"Indeed."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Thanks for everything guys! We are nearing the end of this fic and are getting closer to the beginning of season seven, can you believe it? I saw a great picture today of Sheldon and Penny from episode 3 of the new season and it made me so happy! :) Anyway, I'm posting chapters 22 and 23 tonight and then I'll post the final two chapters tomorrow. Sorry this has been so lengthy, thanks to everyone who has stuck with it! **

CHAPTER 22

"So when the police took you back to Amy's apartment, the only thing there was a bag full of your stuff?"

"Yep, that's it," Raj said, putting down his fork and pushing his lunch tray away, feeling ill as his lunch began to churn in his stomach.

"What the hell could have made Amy lose it like that?" Howard asked between chews of his sandwich.

"I told you dude, it's _Sheldon_. No matter how good Amy and I had it, and let me tell you, it was fucking good, she just couldn't get past her feelings for him."

Leonard grunted and shoved his plate back, "What the hell is it about him that has made all our women go insane? Penny's so in love with him she got his state tattooed on her damn foot, Amy buys a gun and shoots Penny...watch out Howard, Bernadette may hang herself if she doesn't get to fuck that whack-a-doodle next."

"Hey! Watch it Hofstadter, that's my wife you are talking about."

"Sorry," Leonard mumbled, resting his elbows on the table and releasing a dismal sigh. "I'm just...I don't know, perplexed. I can't believe this is happening. I mean, I know Penny and Sheldon have had this underlying weird flirtatious thing going on between them for years. But I guess I had convinced myself neither of them would ever act on it. Especially after Amy entered the picture. I thought Penny and I were finally insulated from any lingering feelings she and Sheldon had for each other."

"Face it Leonard," Howard said, "the only thing that ever stood between Sheldon and Penny was _you_. Once you were out of the picture, all hell broke lose. He may be a freak, but he's certainly not stupid. Besides, you know that in the end, Sheldon Cooper always gets what he wants. I think he just held off for so long because of his friendship with you. I really don't think Sheldon wanted to hurt you, and I do believe he tried to respect your relationship with Penny. But then you and Penny broke up and you leaving for the Hawking trip left the door wide open for them. I think that's why he never really let things get too far with Amy. He knew there would come a day when he'd make his move on Penny and he didn't want to hurt Amy any more than he had to."

"I agree. Amy and I had a lot of long talks about her and Sheldon while we were together. She never could get over the fact that Sheldon never showed an ounce of physical attraction towards her, yet that last time she went to visit him, she caught him and Penny half naked about to get wild..."

"Oh God," Leonard said, rising to his feet and sliding his chair hard against the table, "just stop it Raj. I don't want to hear the details."

"But I do," Howard said, wide eyes turning to Raj, "Please continue."

"You guys are disgusting. I'm going back to my office."

Leonard stormed away, stopping only to cram his uneaten lunch into the trash bin and harshly slam his tray down onto the metal shelf above it.

**~s/p~**

"Leonard?"

He was in his office now, his back to the door, slumped in his desk chair, his feet propped on the edge of the windowsill.

"Yeah?" he answered, not bothering to swivel around.

"I'm back."

"Alex?" he said, slowly dropping his feet to the floor, pushing to spin around.

"Hey," she smiled at him, moving around the desk to stand in front of him.

"What are you doing here? There's over a week left on the Hawking expedition."

"I faked illness...I couldn't stand being on the ship without you. They finally docked just for me so I could leave. I took the first flight out of there. And now...well, here I am. Surprise!"

"Alex," he stood and moved towards her, "things are crazy right now."

"Yeah, I knew they would be. So how is Penny?"

"She's fine. Luckily the bullet just grazed her side, cracked a few ribs, but didn't do any serious or lasting damage."

Alex stepped closer to him, reaching out tentatively to touch him.

"I'm glad. Did they arrest the guy that did it? Was she being robbed?"

"God," he said, looking down at her hand that rested on his upper arm, "I wish it were that simple. It wasn't a mugging, the shooter was someone we all knew."

"What? Who?" Alex feigned ignorance of Amy's involvement in the shooting.

"Do you remember Amy? Sheldon's girlfriend? I think you met her a time or two. Didn't he make you buy her a gift or something once?"

"Yeah, Doctor Fowler. I remember her. Nice girl. What about her?"

"She was the one...the one who shot Penny."

"Wait...what? Doctor Fowler shot Penny? No. That's crazy. Why would she do that?"

Alex maintained her composure, never revealing to Leonard any indication that she was well aware of Amy's actions or that she and Amy had plotted to rid themselves of Penny.

"Well, apparently after I left for the Hawking trip, Sheldon broke up with Amy. And, well, he and Penny began dating. From what we, and the police, have been able to piece together, Amy just couldn't get over losing Sheldon. I guess she just lost it and shot Penny."

"Oh my. So is she in jail now?"

"No...no, uh...no one really knows where she is. They went to arrest her and she was gone. It's like she disappeared off the entire face of the earth. Her apartment was totally cleaned out...almost like she never even existed."

"Wow. So...what does that mean...I mean, so Penny and Doctor Cooper are in a relationship now?"

"Yep, that's what it means."

Alex stepped closer, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. _Maybe_, she thought, _Doctor Cooper had been the solution to her Penny problem all along_. As long as Penny was with Sheldon, she was no threat to Alex and Leonard's relationship.

"And how do you feel about that?"

Leonard lifted his arms and wrapped them around her waist.

"I'll be honest, Alex. It hurts...it hurts a lot, actually. But I promised Sheldon I'd not interfere. He says they are in love, so I have no choice but to honor that."

She leaned in and smoothed her lips across his, mumbling, "I'm so sorry you are hurting, Baby...let me help you...let me make you forget all about them."

"Alex," he whispered, parting his lips and giving her full access. "I don't know...I...God...I need..."

"Me," she said softly, her warm breath mingling with his, "you need me...you need this..."

She dropped her hand to his and guided it between her legs, encouraging him to touch her. Within seconds her skirt was hiked high and his pants and boxers were pooled around his feet.

"Turn around," he growled, roughly pushing her towards his desk.

She did as he commanded, grasping the edge of his desk with her hands, arching her backside towards him, her legs spread, offering herself to him for the taking. She sucked in a deep breath as she felt his hardness press against her ass, the sensation causing her to tremble with anticipation.

"I've missed this...I've missed you..."

**~s/p~**

Sheldon's arm was secured around Penny's waist as they moved slowly down the hospital corridor.

"Sheldon, I'm really okay. You don't have to hold me up. I'm just sore, but I can walk fine."

"Sorry," he mumbled, dropping his arm to his side.

"Don't be sorry. It's sweet that you are taking such good care of me. It's just, I need to do this on my own so they can see that I am fine and they will let me go home tomorrow."

"I understand, it's just difficult for me to keep my hands off of you."

She laughed, the laugh causing her to grab at her injured side.

"You managed to keep your hands off me for six years. I think you can do it for one more day."

"Yes, that is true, but at that point, I'd not touched you so I didn't know what I was missing. Now that I have, I never want to let you go."

"Yeah, well, you remember that tomorrow night when I'm back in your bed and you are mad at me for snuggling up to you so close that I interrupt your precious REM sleep, mister."

He grinned down at her, "Penny, if it means having you back in my bed, I'll gladly relinquish my REM sleep."

"Aw, you're so romantic."

"I'm not trying to be romantic, I'm just being honest."

"Yeah, well, either way, I love you for it."

"I love you too," he said, taking her hand in his. "Is it acceptable that I hold my girlfriend's hand?"

"Hey, you keep calling me girlfriend and you can do whatever you want."

"Oh, you are so easy, _girlfriend_."

"Watch it, Texas. I already owe you one from this morning. Don't make me go more in debt with you."

"And would that be such a bad thing?" he asked as they turned the corner and headed back towards her room.

"Not at all. I'm looking forward to repaying you, _with interest_," she said, reaching to give his ass a quick squeeze.

"Penny, need I remind you we are in public?" he squawked, his face flushing crimson.

"And his mother is right behind you," they heard a deep voice from behind them say.

They turned to see Mary and Eric moving towards them. Eric wore a huge grin while Mary's face matched the color of her son's cheeks.

"Shelly Bean! You know better than that."

"Penny did it," he croaked, looking from his mother to his boss.

"Hell, Sheldon," Eric laughed, moving to slap him on the back, "Don't apologize, enjoy it."

Penny giggled and turned towards Eric, "Thanks Doctor Gablehauser."

"Ah, please call me Eric. I have a feeling we'll all be family one day in the not so distant future."

"Well, if they don't stop acting out, I have a feeling I'll be a grandmother sooner rather than later too," Mary said, trying her best to sound stern but unable to conceal the smile that threatened her lips.

They moved into Penny's room and Mary and Eric watched as Sheldon helped Penny back into her bed, carefully placing the sheet over her and settling in the chair he'd positioned next to the bed.

"So how was your day, Mom?"

"Oh, it was lovely. We rode along the Pacific Coast Highway, stopped and walked along the beach...we found a beautiful little cafe for lunch...it was just perfect."

"Yes, we went as far as Malibu," Eric said, giving Sheldon a knowing wink.

"Our favorite place," Penny chimed in, sending Sheldon a lopsided grin.

"Yes," Mary said, "Eric informed me of the vacation you two took there a few weeks ago. Funny how I didn't hear about it from my own son."

"Mom..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know...you're a grown man, blah, blah, blah...doesn't matter, you are still my baby boy."

Sheldon cleared his throat and looked away. Penny couldn't help but giggle, thinking to herself that if Mary knew what her 'baby boy' had done to her in that very room just a few hours earlier, she'd probably have a stroke.

"Alright, you two love birds, it's time for us to get out of here. It's getting late. Sheldon, are you coming with us or will you be staying?"

"Well, I'd like to stay, but Penny has informed me that I will go home and shower and get a good night's rest."

"Yeah, I get to go home tomorrow, and he's going to attend to my every need when I get there, so I thought he might better rest up tonight."

"And I look forward to it," he said, taking her hand in his.

"Yes, that reminds me, Penny, while I have appreciated your generosity in letting me stay in your apartment, tonight will be my last night. I think you need to go home to your own place, to your own bed, when you get out of here."

"Oh Mary, you don't have to do that, I can stay with Sheldon."

"No, Eric and I discussed it this afternoon. Now that Leonard is back and living in Sheldon's apartment, we believe it could present an awkward living situation for all three of you."

"That hadn't occurred to me. Penny, that is a valid point. Will you be okay staying in my room, Mom?"

Mary smiled at him, "Well, Sheldon...Eric has invited me to stay in his home for my last couple of days here in California."

"Oh..oh...I see...in his _guest room_ I presume?"

Eric shook his head, "We're all adults here, Sheldon. Remember?"

Sheldon nodded and held up his hand, "Fine, fine...say no more, I don't want to hear anything else about it."

"It's not so funny when the shoe is on the other foot, now is it Shelly Bean?"

Sheldon rolled his eyes and stood, "Not funny at all Mom."

"Okay, well, we'll wait for you in the lobby while you tell your girl here goodnight. Penny, you take care and call me if there is anything you need. We'll be here bright and early in the morning to take you home."

"Thanks Mary," she said, waving to them as they turned to leave.

"God," Sheldon mumbled, moving closer to Penny, bending to drop slow kisses on her lips.

"Aw, you don't like to think about your mom sleeping over at Eric's house?" she teased.

"Shhh...Penny...less talking, more kissing..."

**~s/p~**

"Hello, Doctor Cooper."

"Alex?"

Sheldon entered his apartment, pushing the door closed behind himself.

"Hey Sheldon. Alex had dinner with me tonight. We're about to choose a movie to watch, want to join us?"

Leonard was in the kitchen, standing in front of the refrigerator examining its contents.

"I see. It's been a long day and I have an early morning. I am going to take a shower and retire for the night. Please keep the noise to a minimum."

"Wait...how's Penny doing?" Leonard asked, not catching the glare Alex leveled at him.

"She's much better. She will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow."

"And will she being staying here with us?" The hopefulness in his tone was clear to both Alex and Sheldon.

Sheldon looked from his roommate to his assistant, wondering if he should announce to them that he was aware of their dalliance on the ship. He found himself however, more irritated with Leonard's interest in Penny's living accommodations than in his sexual exploits with Alex on the Hawking ship.

"No. Penny and I will be staying in her apartment while she is on the mend."

"Oh...well, okay then. Do you need me to give you a ride over and help bring her home?"

"No, my mom and Doctor Gablehauser will be assisting. But thank you for offering."

"Well you know, Penny _is_ my friend too," Leonard mumbled, turning to snatch beers from the refrigerator.

"I'm aware. Goodnight Leonard, Alex."

Alex waited until Sheldon disappeared down the hallway before speaking.

"You sounded quite concerned about where Penny would be staying when she get's back."

"Don't start, Alex," Leonard said, flipping though the Netflix movie menu.

"I'm not starting anything. I'm just saying that if I noticed, I'm sure Doctor Cooper did too. And I doubt he liked it anymore than I did."

"Listen," he said, turning to face her, "No matter what is going on with Penny and Sheldon, or her and anyone else for that matter, I'll always care for her. She and I had something special for years, I've loved her for a long time. You can't just turn that off."

"Well...is there...I mean, do you think...there is a possibility of you two getting back together someday?"

"I don't know, Alex."

"Great. And how do you think that makes me feel?"

"Look, I've made it clear to you how I feel about Penny. I'm just trying to be honest with you. When she gets back, when she recovers completely from her injury, I'm going to have a long talk with her. I want to find out exactly what is going on with her and Sheldon, why she no longer wants me...and well, just _everything_. I have to know."

"But you told Sheldon you would respect their relationship."

"I did and I will. But I do need some closure. I have to hear it from Penny. I have to know what went wrong between us and how she and Sheldon ended up together. I just...I have to know."

"And then, once you talk to her, once you get this closure you so desperately need, will it be over then? Can you and I move on?"

"Yeah, sure."

But there was no denying that they both knew it would be a long, long time before his heart would ever let go of Penny.

**~s/p~**

Penny was settled in her bed with Sheldon hovering about, tucking her in, assuring himself that her night table held everything she could possibly need.

"Sheldon," she sighed, "just, you know, come over here beside me. I just want you near me. I don't care about all that other stuff."

"But Penny, I promised I'd take good care of you and attend to all of your needs."

"Sweetie, really, the only thing I need is _you_. Just come over here."

"Penny, now is not the time for me to act as your snuggle bunny_."_

"Aw, I always want to get _snugily _with you."

He rolled his eyes, "You know 'snugily' isn't really even a word."

"Come get _snugily_ with me, Texas," she pouted.

"Well, if you insist," he said, toeing off his shoes and attempting to hide his smile.

He crawled up the bed towards her, taking extra care not to jostle her recovering body.

"Closer," she urged, motioning him to her.

"Penny..."

"I want to kiss you. We are finally alone and I need to make out with you in a big way."

"You need your rest, remember what the doctor said."

"Yeah well, the doctor doesn't have you in his bed. He has no idea how healing it can be just to kiss you."

He moved towards her, using his palms to support his weight, and slowly raked his lips over hers.

"Is this good?"

"Oh yeah...good...but more."

"Penny..."

"Please..."

He sucked gently at her lower lip, inhaling deeply when she snaked her arms around him, sliding her hands under his shirts.

"You're not up for this, Penny."

"Mmmm...but you are...and I need to repay you for what you did for me yesterday...mmmm...not that I mind...you are so ready..." she drug her hand down the length of his torso finally reaching the growing bulge between his legs, stroking him along the fabric of his pants.

"You need to rest Penny, we can attend to those needs when you are feeling better."

"But don't I feel good to you _now_?" she asked innocently, pulling his hand to her chest, encouraging him to touch her.

"You feel remarkable," he breathed out, lowering his head to her neck while pushing her thin shirt up her body.

"The worst part about this whole thing has been not having you like I want you every night."

"I've missed loving you this way, I must confess," he said, smoothing his tongue across her breast, biting at her erect nipples.

"Sorry for the bandages, I know they aren't very sexy," she murmured across the taut skin of his neck.

"Well, the only way to support cracked ribs is to wrap them tightly. Besides, you are always sexy to me, no matter what you are wearing."

"Oh Baby, get these clothes off of us quick, I need to feel you now."

"My pleasure," he said, rocking back on his knees and reaching to slide her shorts down her legs and then pushing her top over her head, careful not to bump her sides. Within seconds he had removed his own clothing and was kissing and licking his way along the inside of her thighs, moving closer to her.

"You need to be on top so that I don't hurt you," he whispered as he balanced his weight over her, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke.

"Yeah," she said, her voice trembling with urgency. "Just roll me over on you."

He did as she asked, rolling onto his back, lifting her with him, landing her body on top of his.

She gazed down into his eyes, dropping soft kisses across his face, "Thank you for taking care of me...for loving me...you just, you'll never know what you mean to me."

She felt his dick twitch against her inner thigh, the tip of his head wet with desire, and shifted her hips to position herself for him to enter her. Locking eyes with her, he eased his hand between them, fisting himself, guiding his aching cock to her entrance and hissing with pleasure as she lowered herself onto him, filling her, stretching her to his need.

"I love you, Nebraska" he whispered, getting lost in the perfection of their bodies melding as one, his hands cupping her ass as she rode him.

"And I love you, Texas," she smiled at him, reaching to thread her fingers though his hair.

"I...damn...I missed having you in my bed...I could hardly sleep with you gone...mmm...you feel incredible."

They had built to a beautiful rhythm now, slow, easy thrusts...lingering kisses, his fingers gliding effortlessly along the smooth surface of her skin.

"When you make love to me like this," she panted, "I feel..."

"Feel...feel what?" he smiled, reaching up to drag his thumb along her bottom lip.

"Alive," she gasp as he began to increase the speed of his movements, his fast approaching climax registering on his face.

"I can't get enough of you, Penny."

"You're so good," she moaned, the intensity of their fucking building, her orgasm teetering on the edge.

"Oh God," he growled, his own release threatening to explode into her.

"Give it to me, Baby" she pleaded, her hips thrusting wildly for that final push to ecstasy.

He drug his index finger along her crack, pausing to slowly tease the outer rim of her hole, watching her face fall back with bliss as she chewed on her bottom lip, mumbling, "Oh God, yes..."

Her enthusiasm for his exploration of her body intensified his pleasure, causing him to involuntarily buck his hips upwards, wildly pushing deeper into her, getting off on her pleas for him to fuck her longer, harder, deeper...

"Fuck," he groaned, firing his release into her, sucking in a deep breath as she came, clinching her walls tighter and tighter around him.

"Damn Baby," she whispered as their bodies began to still, coming down from their sexual high.

"I hope you weren't hurt during our sexual congress," he said between breaths.

She laughed, "You always know just the perfect thing to say after coitus."

He rolled his eyes to meet hers, "Sarcasm?"

"Yep."

**~s/p~**

The knocking woke her and she mumbled for Sheldon before remembering he'd left almost an hour earlier.

"Penny?"

She attempted to sit up, but thought better of it, the pain from her injury combined with the fresh pain of her and Sheldon's physical activities kept her pinned to the bed. She knew it was Leonard's voice and hoped he still had a key as there was no way she felt like getting out of bed.

"Come in, Leonard," she yelled, gasping as the pain from her vocal exertion rippled through her body.

A moment later she heard him push the key in the lock and enter her apartment.

"Penny?"

"I'm in the bedroom. You can come in," she said, pulling her sheet and comforter up to her neck to cover herself.

"Hey," he said, coming into the room and giving her a concerned smile.

"Hey, Leonard. Sorry I couldn't come to the door, I'm still pretty sore."

"Oh, that's okay, I still have your key," he said, waving it in the air as if it necessary to show her.

"Good...good..." she returned his smile.

"So where's Sheldon?" he asked as if they both didn't know Leonard knew Sheldon was not there.

"Uh, his mom drove him to the store. We needed a few groceries."

"Yeah, uh, oh yeah..."

Leonard stuck his hands in his pockets and quickly surveyed the room, his mind racing back to all the nights he'd spent there with her.

"So...what's up?" she asked in an effort to break the awkwardness that had settled between them.

"Well, you know, just checking in with you, wanted to see how you're doing."

"I'm okay...better...doctor says I'll have some pain for another week or two but it's not too bad. They have my ribs wrapped up tight and Sheldon's taking good care of me."

Leonard raised his eyebrows and nodded, "Sure...sure...uh, yeah, Sheldon...so...well, he told me about the two of you but..."

She sighed and gave him a pointed look, using her elbows to push herself up the headboard.

"Out with it Leonard...you want to talk about Sheldon and me. I get it. He told me that you know everything so what else is there for me to say?"

"I just," he stepped closer to her and motioned to the bed, "Is it okay for me to sit?"

"On the edge, yeah."

Leonard slumped onto the bed, careful to keep his distance from her.

"It's just...Penny...you and I...we had something...and I know we broke up before I left but..."

"Leonard, cut to the chase. And by the way, just so you know, I know that you were banging some chick on the ship not long after it left solid ground, so don't play innocent with me."

"How'd you know?"

"We have a small social group, Leonard, word gets around."

"Howard..." he muttered under his breath.

"Yep, from your lips to Howard's ears straight to Bernadette and Raj and it runs right to me."

"So, wait, you just started hooking up with Sheldon because you were upset about me and Al...I mean, me and _some woman_ on the ship?"

"No...God, what kind of girl do you think I am? You think I'd just mess with Sheldon like that? Use him? Leonard, you know Sheldon better than anyone, and you know me. Do you really think I'd play games like that with him?"

"Well, no...but I can't come up with any other good explanation. That's why I'm here Penny. I promised Sheldon I wouldn't cause trouble for you two, but I need to know what happened...what happened with us and what happened to bring you and Sheldon together."

"Listen Leonard, I don't want to hurt you, but you're asking for the truth and I'm just gonna be blunt, okay?"

"That's all I want...the truth...even if it hurts."

"The thing is, Sheldon and I...since that very first day, they day you guys saw me moving in...there's been this...thing...this pull, this force of nature. I don't know all the sciency words you guys know...but well, I felt something for him that very first day. Remember when you guys invited me to your apartment? Remember I went to his board...then I sat in his spot? And...and I couldn't even take my eyes off him at first when he finally sat down at the other end of the sofa. He just...he, had some kind of pull on me. And as time went by and I got to know him, he made me laugh and think and feel...he made me _feel_, Leonard. That's something no other guy has ever done."

"Feel? What does that even mean? And what about me? Didn't you feel something with me?"

"_For_ you...I felt something _for you_. That's how it's always been with me and any other guy. For me, it's always been about the guy...what does _he_ want, what can I do to make _him_ happy, to keep _him_ interested in me, to turn _him_ on, to satisfy _him_ in bed. That is what I felt with you, it's what I felt with every guy. Until Sheldon."

"I still don't get it Penny."

"Sheldon," she smiled a secret smile when she said his name, it was a smile that sent daggers into Leonard's heart, "he makes me feel life. He challenges me, teases me, forces me to look at me, makes me want to look deeper at him than just in the bedroom...I...I know this is hard for you to hear Leonard, but I love him. With everything in me, I love him. He feels like every breath I take. When Amy shot me that day? The very last thought I had before I blacked out was Sheldon...Sheldon...it's always Sheldon...I could have died down there on that sidewalk and he would have been my last thought."

"Penny..."

"And the thing is, I would have been okay with that...just knowing he loved me, that it was good for me to love him...that I had that time with him. I was shot, I was face down on that cold sidewalk, I was losing consciousness and I was still happy because of him...because of the thought of us, of Sheldon and me."

"God..."

"Yeah...well, you wanted the truth...there it is."

"But I loved you first...why couldn't it have been me...why could't it have been us?"

She shook her head, "I don't know Leonard. Who can explain love?"

**~s/p~**

"Leonard?"

Alex was banging on the door now, wondering if he'd ever care enough to give her a key to his apartment.

"Hello Alex," Sheldon said as he stepped onto the landing of the fourth floor.

She turned, balancing the bags she carried, and smiled at him.

"Oh hi, Doctor Cooper...uh, Sheldon...I was just trying to get Leonard to the door. He knew I was coming over...I brought dinner."

Sheldon twisted towards his mother, "This is my mom, Mom, this is my assistant, Alex. And of course you know Doctor Gablehauser."

"Yes, hi Doctor Gablehauser. Nice to meet you Mrs. Cooper."

"Hello Alex, I trust you are having a pleasant summer?"

"Well, you know, I'm just trying to enjoy what's left of it. Classes will be starting back soon. Classes and work."

"I see. And you are a close friend of Doctor Hofstadter?" Eric asked, wondering if she would admit having been on the Hawking ship with Leonard for the past two months.

"Well, we are dating...well, sort of dating...or something," she gave an uncomfortable laugh and kicked at the door hoping to alert Leonard.

Sheldon slipped his key in the door to Penny's apartment, then glanced back at Alex.

"If you will wait a moment, I'll open the door for you and check on Leonard."

"That'd be great, thank you."

Sheldon gave Gablehauser a knowing look before entering the apartment.

"You can just put the bags here on the kitchen island and I'll..."

He heard their voices coming from her bedroom and he came to an abrupt stop, causing Mary to crash into the back of him, her bag breaking and cans of soup spilling to the floor, rolling across the wood.

"For Heaven's sake, Sheldon. What are you..."

He stepped forward to put the bags he carried on the counter, then turned towards the bedroom, his temperature rising along with the color in his cheeks.

"Penny?"

He could see Leonard on the side of the bed and heard Penny laughing softly.

"Hey Sheldon, we're in here."

He stopped in the doorway, aware of Alex's presence directly behind him.

"What are you doing?" he managed, forcing down his anger at seeing Leonard in the bedroom with her.

He felt Alex peering around him, her own anger threatening to bubble over.

Penny smiled at him, quickly sensing his discomfort with finding Leonard in her bedroom.

"Leonard came over and I couldn't get out of bed. I told him to come in. We're just talking, you know, catching up."

Sheldon smirked at them, "Well, there is an entire sofa in the other room just begging to be utilized."

Leonard stood, noting the fury on Alex's face, and added, "Yeah, I'm sorry Sheldon. It's my fault...I shouldn't have come in without you being here."

He relaxed a bit, moving past Leonard towards the bed, making a point of bending to kiss Penny on her lips as if marking his territory for all to see. He was immediately ashamed of his proprietary and primal action but felt justified just the same.

Penny grinned up at him, and swatted him on the ass for good measure.

"Hi Texas!" she teased, adding with a dramatic flair, "I missssssed you Babeee."

Leonard stifled a laugh and reached to drop a forced kiss on Alex's cheek.

"Hey Babe...mmm, looks like it's dinner time. See you guys later!"

Taking her hand, he pulled Alex towards the door, nodding quick greetings to Mary and Eric before heading to his own apartment.

"Jealous much?" Penny laughed, tugging Sheldon down next to her.

"Jealous? I'm not jealous," he mumbled. "Why would I be jealous of that homunculus?"

"Well, for one thing, you always call him a homunculus when you are jealous of him...remember that morning in your apartment?"

"Yes, well, I didn't know you were so..._aware_...at the time."

She giggled, "Yeah, I knew it. It's just, I was with him then, and never thought you'd have an ounce of interest in me. But I felt it even then...I felt like you were just slamming on him in some weird way to impress me."

He smiled down at her, "Ah, so I am that transparent to you?"

"Oh yeah, you are. I guess maybe I should have said something to you then instead of waiting all this time."

"So tell me, what were you and the homunculus...I mean, _Leonard_...talking about?"

"Aw, you know. He said he just needed closure. So I gave him a very detailed account of just how deeply in love with you I am."

"Very well," he said, coming to a stand and then turning back to her, "as I am with you."

"So you're not jealous?"

"Of that homunculus? Never."

"Uh, your transparency is showing there, Shelly Bean."

"Penny, that is by it's very nature impossible. You can't see transparency, it just_ is_."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes, "alls I know is, I can see yours."


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

"I can't believe you just humiliated me like that," Alex snapped once they were behind the closed door of Leonard's apartment.

"What?" He turned and squinted up at her.

"You being over there alone with Penny...in her damn bedroom. And then not only do I walk in with Doctor Cooper, but his mother and Doctor Gablehauser."

"Get over yourself Alex. Sheldon was fine and his mother and Doctor Gablehauser couldn't care less."

"Listen, you need to accept they are together and you will never have her again, got it? And you and I are together, so just move on...with me."

"Look Alex, I like you, and I enjoy your company most of the time, but I have to be honest with you. I'm not ready right now for a serious, permanent relationship with anyone. I need time."

"Time? Time for what? Time to wait and see if Penny is really going to stick it out with Sheldon? Time to see if she wants to come back to you?"

Alex was furious, her face glowing a bright pink, he fist clinched tightly at her sides.

Leonard moved towards her and attempted to touch her but she shoved his hand away and stepped back.

"Come on Alex...let's just have dinner and hang out tonight, okay? We don't have to get so serious right now. Just...let's just relax."

Alex took a deep breath and slowly shook her head, "You're never getting over her are you?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, turning to reach for plates from the kitchen cabinet.

**~s/p~**

It was late now, and Sheldon was in the kitchen putting away their dinner plates. His Mom had made spaghetti with hot dogs and the four of them had shared the evening meal together. She'd wanted to stay awhile, but Eric had convinced her (yet again) that Penny and Sheldon needed time alone. He'd promised her he'd do the dishes after he got Penny settled in bed, as her latest dose of prescribed medication was beginning to spread through her system, causing her to feel an overwhelming need to sleep.

He'd just put away the pitcher of Texas style sweet tea that Mary had made when he heard his Skype alert sound. He quickly wiped his hands on the kitchen towel and crossed the room to grab his laptop. He placed it on the table in front of the sofa and lifted the lid.

"What the hell?" he whispered, double checking the web address and scraping his fingers through his short hair. He glanced over his shoulder to assure himself that Penny's bedroom door was closed, hoping she was still in a drug induced deep sleep, and hit the answer button.

"Amy?" he snarled when his ex-girlfriend's face appeared on the monitor.

"Hello Sheldon...you aren't hallucinating, it's really me."

"Where are you?" he demanded.

She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm far, far away, Sheldon."

"You tried to kill Penny!" he barked in a deep, hoarse whisper.

"Yes..._that_. My apologies...sorry. Oh, and for the record, I'm also sorry your mom was there to see it. You know I always liked her."

"You're making light of shooting Penny? How dare you."

"Oh get over it, Sheldon. I hear she is just fine, the bullet barely touched her. And, judging from what I can see behind you, it looks like you are in her apartment at this very moment. I'd venture to guess she is tucked safely in her bed, high on some delightful pharmaceuticals, and you are attending to her every need. Correct?"

"I won't dignify that with an answer. I demand you tell me where you are. You should be in police custody and in case you are not aware, there is a warrant out for your arrest."

Amy snorted, "I'm well aware, Sheldon. I know I can never step foot back in the state of California, or for that matter, the whole United States. Since you and I are no longer together, I have no desire to ever return anyway. If I can't have you, I may as well just live on the other side of the world."

"My God, Amy...what happened to you?"

"I loved you, Sheldon. That's all, I made the irrevocable mistake of falling in love with you."

"Amy, I'm sorry. I told you I never meant to hurt you and I meant it."

"Well, if we are being honest, I need to claim my part of the blame. I knew that night, the night Penny drove you and me on our first date, that you were in love with her. I could see it in your eyes...and the love you had for her was reflected right back at you in her eyes. I should have walked away then."

He cleared his throat, "I do wish you had brought it to my attention at that time, Amy."

"As do I, Sheldon...as do I."

"So where are you?"

She sighed, "Sheldon, you have a eidetic memory. I'm sure if you put your mind to it, you could figure it out."

Sheldon pressed his eyes together tightly and slowly shook his head.

"You're with that prince you once told me about, aren't you?"

"Yes. And before you phone the authorities, you need to know that there are no international laws in place here with the U.S. The people here would laugh at an extradition request from America."

"I'm well aware of international law, Amy."

"Of course you are."

"So, you can live with yourself, you can sleep at night, knowing that you tried to kill someone who has been nothing but a good friend to you?"

"Yeah, a good friend who stole my boyfriend."

"You just said yourself that you knew she and I cared for one another from the beginning. She didn't _steal _anything, Amy, and you know that."

"Touché," she laughed. "Nothing gets past the great Doctor Cooper, huh?"

"Why did you call me, Amy?"

Amy sighed, and he watched as she smoothed her hands across her cheeks.

"I...well, you were right about one thing. Excluding the fact that Penny took my boyfriend from me, she always was a good friend to me. We had some great times together and I learned a lot from her...things I would never have learned in a classroom."

"I agree."

"And now that some time has passed and I've removed myself from the situation, I feel bad about what I did to her and I'm very thankful that I was unsuccessful in my attempt to even the score, as it were."

"You should feel bad. What you did is inexcusable and unforgivable."

"Yes, well, be that as it may, I'm calling to at least make amends for my, uh, unfortunate indiscretion."

"Just stop, Amy. There are no amends you can make, no words you can say, that will quell the rage I feel for you and your actions."

"Maybe you'll feel different after I tell you why I Skyped you."

"Well, unless you've invented a time machine that will allow you to go back and _not_ shoot Penny, I can think of no other thing that you can say that would matter at this point."

"So...how's Alex doing?"

"What? Alex? Amy, this isn't a social call."

"Just listen, okay? Are you alone right now? Can anyone else hear me?"

"I'm alone...Penny is in her bedroom sleeping."

"Okay," Amy took a deep breath and stared straight into her webcam, "Alex was in this with me."

"I don't know what you mean."

"She and I both had reason to take Penny out. Alex wanted Leonard and I wanted you and let's face it, you and Leonard both have always been _smitten_ with Penny. We ran into each other in your office one day when you were out. We started talking and discovered we both had the same problem..._Penny_."

"Oh my God," he whispered, his eyes darting towards the door, wondering if Alex was still in his apartment with Leonard.

"She...she sympathized with me feeling threatened by Penny. And she wanted Leonard but she knew that as long as he was with Penny, she didn't stand a chance. She told me about her uncle Chuck who 'takes care of problems' for people."

"'Takes care of problems?' God Amy, that sounds like a badly written line from some Mafia movie."

"Doesn't it? Anyway, she gave me his card and I went to see him. I talked to him and his partners Bill and Steve. They said they could make it seem like you and Penny never even knew each other. Of course none of us factored in the strong chemistry the two of you have. Heck, even just being in a room together with many other people, the two of you still sparkle like new diamonds. Leonard and I both witnessed it at his bon voyage party. It's inexplicable."

"Oh Amy..."

"Yeah, they said the only way to prevent you two from that natural pull you have for each other was to keep you totally separated, like not even in the same room, or even the same building. They had a plan to have one of you relocated but it was going to take so long for them to make it work. I got antsy, purchased a gun and decided I'd handle it myself."

"Amy...why didn't you just come to me? Or to Penny? Just talk to us. You are a brilliant woman, you had to know you couldn't get away with what you did."

"I...I just lost it, Sheldon. It was like something else took over my mind and I couldn't think straight. I...well, I'm on medication now and starting to feel like my old self. I really am so sorry even though I realize there is no way for you and Penny to ever forgive me."

"So tell me more about Alex's part in this."

"Well, that's really about it. I don't know the criminal justice system well enough to know if she committed any crime. All she really did was talk to me and give me Chuck's number. Oh, and she was on the ship with Leonard. They did sleep together, I do know that. But she is still worried about Penny. The last time I spoke with her, she was angry that Leonard was leaving the ship to go be with Penny after he found out she had been shot."

"Yes well, they are both back now. They seem to be in some sort of relationship."

"Yeah, well, I'm just letting you know that she still feels threatened by Penny. I don't know if she'd try anything, but, well, there you go...my feeble attempt to seek forgiveness for what I've done."

"Is there anything else, Amy?" he asked, his mind beginning to swirl with the disturbing information she'd just given him.

"Yes...I...I still love you...and Penny too...and I'm so, so sorry. I hope someday...well, just...I love you, Sheldon."

"Will I be able to reach you via Skype if I need to speak with you again?"

"Certainly. I am safe and content here."

"Goodbye Amy."

He reached to disconnect the chat session before she could say another word.

**~s/p~**

"Eric?"

"Sheldon?"

"I need to speak with you alone...without my mother. It's urgent."

"Well, she's in the shower now...it's getting rather late you know."

"Please...is there anyway you can get away, come over here for a few minutes?"

Gablehauser sighed, "Well, you know I don't want to lie to your mother...I'll have to think of something. Are you sure this can't wait until morning?"

"No, no...I...," Sheldon choked back tears, "please...you said you would be there for me, that you have my back...well, I need you _now_."

"Okay," Eric said, sensing the desperation in Sheldon's voice, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Sheldon?"

He'd just disconnected from Eric when Penny stumbled from her bedroom into the den, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Penny, what are you doing out of bed? Are you feeling okay?"

She gave him a lopsided grin, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just want you to come to bed. I want to snuggle with you."

He moved towards her, attempting to calm the twitch that threatened his face.

"I have a bit more work to do, Penny. And you," he said, dropping his arm around her shoulder and turning her towards the bedroom, "need your rest. I'll come to bed soon. Just give me another hour or so, okay?"

"But Texassss...come to bed _now_...I miss you..."

He guided her to the bed, urging her to climb under the covers. She pressed her warm body close to his and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a heated kiss.

"Mmmm...please Sheldon...stay in here with me."

"Penny, we've already engaged in amorous activities today and I need to stay focused on my work."

There was no way Sheldon wanted Penny to know about Amy's Skype. He knew she would either worry or storm across the hall and kick Alex's ass. He was quite sure Penny would select the second option.

"Wow...you're a real cock block, you know that, Shelly?" she said, her words slurred from the painkillers that still surged though her body.

"You don't have a cock for me to block," he sighed, lowering her gently onto the bed.

"Then give me yours," she giggled, moving her hand to his crotch and giving him a squeeze.

"Penny!" he hissed, peeling her hand away and pushing down at his hardening member.

"But I want you."

"Penny, I have work to do...please."

She'd pulled him onto the bed now, and he struggled to not land the weight of his body on her tightly wrapped ribs. She drug her mouth along his neck and slowly began to grind her hips against his.

"Come on Sheldon...I'll talk dirty to you, just like you like...please Baby."

"Penny," he whispered, sucking in a deep breath while halfheartedly resisting her advances.

"Let me have you, Texas." She was drug addled but she was engaging him with the two things she knew turned him on most: dirty talk and her begging him for sex. She had learned that nothing got him going more than those two things.

"You feel amazing," he breathed into her neck.

"You know you want me."

"You're killing me, woman," he whispered, peppering her shoulders with soft kisses.

"Yeah, and you're loving every minute of it."

Sheldon lifted her off of him and sat up, taking her hand in his.

"Not now, Penny. Please."

"Fine," she said, confusion clouding her face. "Well, I'm all sweaty anyway, I need to take a shower. Can you help me with that? I'll have to take these stupid bandages off before I can get in."

"Penny...I..."

"Come on, we can take one together. I probably need you to hold me up anyway."

He sighed, realizing he had no other option but to confess to her that they had a visitor on the way.

"Listen, Eric...Doctor Gablehauser...is on his way here. He'll be here any minute."

"What? It's almost midnight."

"I know. I have pressing business to discuss with him. He's having to lie to my mother just to get out of the house and come over here."

She eased up to the side of the bed, twisting to drop her feet to the floor.

"What's going on, Sheldon?"

"Penny..."

"Spit it out."

He sighed and shook his head, rolling towards her and slipping his arm around her waist, tugging gently at the elastic bandage that wrapped around her torso.

"Amy Skyped me earlier."

"What?"

"Yes. She's no longer in the country. Several years ago she told me about a man...a prince from the middle east region...she'd been involved with at one time. She's there with him now...in his country."

"Oh my God...what else did she say?"

"She said she is sorry for what she did to you, she's on medication now to treat her...uh, mental health issues...she knows about the arrest warrant, that she can never return to the States without fear of being apprehended."

"Why didn't you come get me? I wanted to speak to her."

"I thought it would upset you and had you not woken, I wasn't going to tell you she called. I was attempting to protect you from any contact with her. Besides, you were sleeping and I think I was in shock that she'd called. And...she said more and it frightened me. I didn't know who else to call, so I called Gablehauser. I don't even know why I called him, just...hell, I suppose I am hoping he will be wise and can guide me as to what to do with the information she gave me."

"Information?" she turned to him now, watching as he released her and rolled onto his back, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"She said Alex was in on it," he half whispered, shaking his head with astonishment.

"Sheldon...she...she and Leonard...she may even be in your apartment now."

"I know. That's why I called Eric. I'm never sure if I can count on Raj or Howard, but Gablehauser at the very least has always presented himself as a strong and steady man."

"Here, help me wash off in the bathroom, we'll do a shower later. I need to be dressed and alert with Eric gets here."

"Do you need more pain medication?"

"Oh hell no, I want to be wide awake when we make our plan to take Alex out."

**~s/p~**

"Have you shared this with Hofstadter?" Eric asked, his face set with stern determination.

"No. Only you and Penny."

"I see."

"What should we do? Based on what Amy said, I'm not sure Alex technically broke any laws. She just tried to capitalize on Amy's mental instability."

"What she did," he snarled, "is not only play a part in harming Penny, but she played a role in almost hurting Mary as well and that is inexcusable. She will be dealt with to the fullest extent of criminal, as well as civil, and university rules and laws."

They watched in silence as Eric paced around the room, scanning the address book on his phone, mumbling to himself.

"I have several attorney friends I will speak with tomorrow. It's too late to phone them now. One of them specializes in international law, he may be able to assist us with Doctor Fowler. Unfortunately, I do believe she was correct in what she told you, as long as she remains in the Middle East, the US has no extradition powers there."

"And Alex?"

"Well, at the very least, she will be removed from the university for violating school ethics. Additionally, this will be a permanent mark on her academic record. Based on what you've told me, I'm not sure she can be charged with anything in the legal system. However, I feel that she may still be a threat to Penny...it makes sense now, the way she glared at Leonard earlier when we found him here in this apartment. Also, she may be a threat to Mary as well, by extension."

"Should we tell Leonard?" Sheldon asked, taking Penny's hand in his and pulling her closer.

"Yes, I'll go to his office in the morning and fill him in. She may be over there in his apartment right now and we don't need to create a scene in the middle of the night. Besides, if we tip her off that we know anything, she may run. I want to keep her here so that we may deal with her through the legal system if we can. Doctor Fowler already got away, I don't want us to lose Alex too. You two get some sleep, there's not much we can do tonight. Are you planning to come into the office tomorrow, Sheldon?"

"Well, I was going to come in for a few hours. I need to start getting set up for the fall semester."

"Very well. I'll swing by your office and we can go together to speak with Doctor Hofstadter. In the mean time, if either of you encounter Alex, act as if you know nothing. We need time to build a case against her if we can. Just act as you normally would around her. We'll speak with Hofstadter and take it from there."

"Wait...what about me? I want to be there to confront that bitch. I always knew there was something off about her. And I think she took advantage of Amy's vulnerability. I can't believe she was brazen enough to encourage Amy to do something like this...I knew Amy would never do anything like that on her own."

"No," Sheldon barked, coming to his feet and turning back to look at her, "I almost lost you once, you are not to go anywhere near that lunatic. Eric and I will handle it."

"Sheldon..."

"Penny, you're still hurt..."

"But I'm a lot better, you know that."

"No, it's out of the question. I'll ask my mother to come over and stay with you tomorrow. You two can go for lunch, see a movie, shop, whatever you gals like to do."

"Gals?"

"God, Penny. Just...please...let me handle this. This isn't Nebraska and there is no junior rodeo here in Pasadena."

"Look you two, just settle down," Eric interjected. "Penny, I know your heart's in the right place, but Sheldon is right. Let us handle it."

"Sure...the _little lady_ will let the _men folk_ handle it."

"God..., do you see what I have to deal with Eric?"

Eric shrugged, "Yeah, and it's pretty great, huh?"

Sheldon blushed and crammed his hands deep into the pockets of his trousers, "Yeah, it really is."

"Alright, you two get some sleep," he said, turning towards the door. "Sheldon, I had to lie to your mother when I left the house and I've felt sick about it ever since. When I get back, I'm going to tell her everything. I want no lies in our relationship, got it?"

"I do...and as her son, I have to tell you that I appreciate it."

"Very well, see you in the morning. Goodnight."

Sheldon secured the door and then lead Penny to the bathroom where they finally took their shower together. He held her close to him as the hot water pounded down, draping his body over hers, whispering a vow to love and protect her forever.

**~s/p~**

"Have you seen Hofstadter this morning?" Eric asked, entering Sheldon's office and quickly closing the door behind him.

"No. I didn't want to take a chance of encountering Alex so I took the bus in."

"I see. I had my secretary phone his office to set up a meeting and she's not been able to reach him. I suppose you and I should just walk down there."

"Yes, sometimes when he's in the lab he won't answer the phone as he's too busy repeating the experiments of others."

Eric laughed, "Ah, Sheldon, you and your workplace condescension never cease to keep me entertained."

"Yes well, I merely call it as I see it."

"And so you do. Let's go, shall we?"

After strolling throughout the science wing, they determined that Leonard was not in the building. They eventually found themselves in the hallway outside of Raj's office and Sheldon tapped gently on the closed door. Gablehauser stood back and shook his head at his future stepson's knocking routine.

"Yes?" Raj asked, pulling the door open.

"Have you seen Leonard?"

"Nope, I don't know where he is. I just got off the phone with Howard, he's looking for him too. They were supposed to meet for coffee this morning but Leonard never showed."

"That's odd. Leonard has many flaws, but tardiness is not usually one of them."

"Yeah, well, when Howard talked to him last night, he said Alex was sleeping over. Maybe he's just hanging out in bed with her this morning. I know I would be," Raj snickered.

"Don't you think that's a highly inappropriate comment for you to make about a grad student, Doctor Koothrappali?"

"Oh, sorry Doctor Gablehauser," Raj replied, giving Sheldon a harsh look and whispering, "Why are you bringing the boss around here?"

Eric rolled his eyes and turned to Sheldon, "Listen, I have a meeting with Siebert so I can't stay. How about giving Hofstadter a call and see if you can rouse him? Get him in here, tell him I want to see him. I'll meet up with you after lunch and we'll speak with him then."

"Alright," Sheldon nodded.

"Dude, seriously, you gotta stop bringing the head of our department around. I'm not used to having to censor myself. Why's he hanging around so much anyway?"

"That," Sheldon said, pointing at Gablehauser as he disappeared down the hallway, "is going to be my new stepfather. Get used to it."

"Great," Raj shrugged, then motioned Sheldon into his office and pushed the door closed behind him. "Listen, sit down Sheldon, I need to tell you something."

"Well make it quick, I need to call Leonard."

"Amy Skyped me last night."

"I see," Sheldon said, raising his eyebrows, encouraging Raj to continue.

"She feels really bad about what she did to Penny."

"As well she should."

"I know, I know...I told her as much."

"Did she say anything else?"

"Well...she told me she spoke with you."

Sheldon sighed, "She did. She Skyped me as well."

"That girl has issues...I just...I can't believe I was so close to her at one point. It's like she's a different person. She wouldn't tell me where she is, other than to say she is no longer in this country. But she did apologize for the way she ended things with me. I really liked her, you know? I thought we had something...something that would last."

"I don't know what to tell you, Raj. Who can understand the mind of a woman? I'm still trying to figure out Penny and she's sane, unlike Amy."

"Dude, that's harsh."

"Harsh but true, Raj. She tried to kill Penny. I have no sympathy for her."

"Anyway, she hinted around about someone here that had helped her with the Penny situation. She never said who it was, then I heard people in the background and she said she had to go. But she did tell me that you knew what she was talking about. She told me to ask you and to make sure you took care of the problem, whatever that means."

Sheldon stood and paced slowly in front of Raj's desk.

"It's Alex," he said, turning to meet Raj's eyes, "she knew Amy was after Penny."

"Wait. Alex? Your assistant? Leonard's girlfriend?"

"Yes...while technically she didn't do anything, as to keep her hands clean from criminal activity, she provided Amy with just enough information to bring harm to Penny."

"But why? Why'd she want to hurt Penny?"

"_Leonard_. It turns out, she wanted Leonard. But he was with Penny at the time. Alex convinced Amy that Penny was also a threat to her relationship with me..."

"Well, she sort of was..."

"Yes, well, one thing I've learned from this is to never lead a girl on. I've been in love with Penny for years. I never should have allowed myself to enter into a relationship agreement with Amy. Although, in my defense, I never made her believe I could feel anything more than an intellectual interest for her."

"So that's why you never gave her any physical contact? You've wanted Penny all this time."

"Yes. I just took me awhile to figure it out, to sort though the social protocol, to come to terms with the fact that I, Sheldon Cooper, could love."

"Dude, that's deep."

Sheldon rolled his eyes, "Now's not the time to get sappy, Raj. We need to find Leonard and talk to him about Alex. He needs to know. Then if he decides he wants to be with a woman who encouraged Amy to shoot Penny, so be it. But if that is the case, he will no longer be a part of mine and Penny's life."

"So you're going to fire her?"

"Doctor Gablehauser will handle that. She's guilty of violating the university's Code of Ethics and will be dealt with accordingly. She'll not only lose her job working for me, but her student status will be revoked as well."

"Tough but necessary, I suppose."

"I'm going back to my office. If you see or hear from Leonard let me know."

Sheldon returned to his office and settled in at his desk. He scrolled though his call log and tried his roommate's cell. He then called his apartment. There was no answer at either of them.

**~s/p~**

Leonard twisted in the chair and sucked in a deep breathe though his nostrils. The cloth in his mouth was making it difficult to breath and the ropes around his wrists were beginning to cut though his skin. He attempted to yell, but a low, muffled hum was the only sound he could muster.

"You're too easy, you know that Leonard?"

"Mmmpphhh..."

"I tell you I want to tie you up and fuck your brains out and you so willingly conceded it's almost laughable. You practically tied the ropes yourself. It's true, you really do think with your dick, don't you?"

"Ffffaaammmphhh..."

"Hmmm, so I have you tied up, I own you, now what am I going to do with you? Oh, there are so many options. I could kill you...or, knowing you, I could probably unzip your pants and fuck you one last time, just for old time sake...you're always up for sex, huh? And you aren't choosy, anyone, anytime, anyplace. Hmm, I could go across the hall and tell Penny I need to borrow some eggs and then bash her across the head and drag her back in here. Of course you'd like that, wouldn't you? You can _never_ get enough of Penny."

"Pmmpphhh..."

"I have gasoline in the trunk of my car...I could burn this damn place down. That'd be amazing, it would kill you and hurt Doctor Cooper too because all of his silly comic books and ridiculous collections would be lost in the fire. And I could pour a trail of gas across the hall to _Precious Penny's _apartment and if I'm really lucky, the flames will burn down her door and fry her too."

"Mmmmpphhhh..."

"But I think I'd rather bring Penny into your apartment...tie her up next to you. That'd be the most torturous thing for you, wouldn't it? To be seated right beside her and not be able to touch her or speak to her right before you die."

Leonard was thrashing about in the chair now, the ropes holding him in place, barely able to move no matter the amount of energy he expended. His eyes pleaded with her to release him. They'd argued into the night about Penny, about their own relationship, and then she'd tricked him into thinking all was well. Now he found himself tied to a chair in his bedroom, unable to do a damn thing.

"No, wait...that's too easy. It would hurt you more if I made you watch Penny die. Yeah, that's it. That'll teach you not to use women. You used me for sex and now you're gonna pay."

He watched as she stood to tighten the ropes around his feet and torso. Grabbing a handful of his damp curly hair, she jerked his head back, forcing him to look into her face.

"Today, Doctor Hofstadter, is the day you get your comeuppance."


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: This it is, guys, the final two chapters. I know I've said it a zillion times but I'll say it again, thank you all so much for your kindness and support of this fic. Much Shenny love to all of you, even to my haters! :P Shenny FTW!**

CHAPTER 24

"Hey!" Penny pulled the door open and gave Mary a hug.

"Well, hey yourself. You are looking mighty cheerful. I hope my son has something to do with that beautiful smile you are wearing."

Penny blushed and motioned for Mary to take a seat.

"Yeah, he does make me pretty happy."

"That's my Shelly, always working the ladies."

They both broke into a fit of laugher at the absurdity of Mary's comment, Penny clutching at her ribs for support.

"Good one," Penny giggled.

"Well, hell, to raise a boy like Sheldon, a mother has to have a sense of humor."

"You raised him just fine, Mary. He is the most amazing man I've ever known. I wish I had the words to tell you how much he means to me...how much I love him."

"You know, I was skeptical at first, Penny. Sheldon's had his fair share of girls hitting on him, wanting to use him for his smarts or to advance their own careers. Luckily he was always able to see right through them. Then he moved to California and got mixed up with this group of friends and I think he was kinda pushed into that relationship with Amy."

"You think?" Sarcasm nipped at her words and she rolled her eyes, remembering how the boys had all but forced Sheldon into the relationship with Amy.

"Yes...now don't get me wrong, I liked Amy, she seemed to be a nice girl...well, until she shot at us," Mary laughed.

Penny gave her a knowing smile.

"But I have to tell you, she was an odd bird and I knew she was not the girl for my Shelly Bean. Lord knows he's odd enough himself, last thing he needs is a woman weirder than he is."

"Well, Amy was..._different_. But she was my friend and I loved her. I just wish I could talk to her now."

"From what Eric told me last night, it sounds like she won't be coming around here anytime soon."

"So he told you about Amy contacting Sheldon."

"Yes. About Amy _and_ about that girl, Alex, is it? She's Sheldon's assistant for Heaven's sake. I tell you, you can't trust anyone these days. The whole world is off its rocker."

"I still can't believe it. I mean, I never liked Alex anyway. She was always hitting on Leonard when we were together. She even ask him out once. What girl does that?"

"Apparently a crazy one."

"Sheldon and Doctor Gablehauser said they don't think she broke any laws so when they see her at the university they can't even call the police to come arrest her."

"Yes, well, Eric is going to fire her, that's for sure. I do not want that woman working anywhere near Sheldon."

"I know. I'm just sort of worried for Leonard. I don't think he knows about any of this stuff with Alex."

"They were going to talk to him this morning. You know, it was Eric and Sheldon that worked it out for her to even be on that ship with Leonard."

"What?"

"Yes, Eric told me last night. He and Sheldon suspected Leonard had a thing for Alex. So Eric called in some favors to get them both on the boat just to see what would happen. Seems it didn't take very long for them to end up in the sack together."

"Oh...I had no idea," Penny said, wondering why Sheldon hadn't told her about his hand in getting Alex on the boat. She of course knew he'd orchestrated Leonard's assignment with Hawking, but this was the first she'd heard of Alex being on the ship. So that explained why Leonard and Alex seemed so close the night before. They'd spent the last three months together.

"Listen, have you spoken with Sheldon since he left this morning? I'm eager to know how it went when they talked to Leonard."

"No, he said he'd call me after they talked to him."

"Oh, alright, we'll just have to wait then. So, do you feel up for lunch?"

"Yes, I'd love to get out of here. I really am feeling better. Honestly, what's bothering me the most is this stupid stretchy bandage thing I'm having to wear."

"Very well...do you need me to help you get dressed?"

"No, I'll be fine, just give me a few minutes. It may take me a little longer...make yourself at home, turn the tv on, whatever you want to do. I'll be out in a little while."

Mary reached for the remote and gave Penny a nod, "Okay, holler if you need me."

Penny grinned at the twang soaked tone of Mary's words. She sure as hell did love Texas.

**~s/p~**

Howard banged on the door and yelled for Leonard. When there was no answer, he dug his phone out of his pocket and called Raj.

"Have you seen Leonard? I'm at his apartment and he's not here."

"No, he's not here either. Sheldon and Gablehauser were in here earlier looking for him."

"Where the hell could he be?"

"I don't know. I'm starting to get worried. This isn't like Leonard at all."

"Yeah, I know."

"Are you actually in the apartment?"

"No. I'm at the door. I knocked a few times."

"Is Penny home?"

"How should I know? Why?"

"Well, she has a key. Maybe you should get it and go in."

"Why? You think he could be laying in there unconscious or something?"

"It's a thought..."

"You're starting to freak me out."

"Sorry. Want me to come over?"

"No, no...just...let me knock on Penny's door, I'll call you back in a few minutes."

"Okay bye...and Howard?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful, okay?"

"You sound like Bernadette...or worse, my mother."

"Ewww to both. Later, dude."

Howard turned to step across the hallway to Penny's door. Hearing him knock, Mary muted the tv and stood, moving to look out the peephole.

"Oh, it's the little Jewish boy."

She unlocked the door and smiled at him, "Hello, Howard, is it?"

"Yes, hi Mrs. Cooper. Is Penny here?"

"She is, but she's getting dressed at the moment. We're going out for lunch."

"I see. Well, could you ask her if she has the key to Sheldon's apartment? We can't find Leonard and Raj suggested I go in the apartment and make sure he's not in there sick or unconscious or something."

"Yeah, come on in and have a seat. I'll go check with her."

Mary came back waving the key in the air.

"Let's go!"

"Oh, you're going with me?"

"Why sure I am. I'm just sitting here waiting on Penny, might as well put myself to good use."

They made their way across the hall and Howard stood back as Mary knocked and then inserted the key when there was no answer. He followed her in, closing the door behind them and looking around at the empty room.

"Huh. This is odd. His keys are still here in the bowl," Howard said.

"Leonard?" Mary called out, moving towards the hallway.

"Mrs. Cooper, please let me check his room. If there's something wrong, Sheldon would never forgive me for letting you walk in on it."

"Well, aren't you the gentleman? Fine, you go ahead, but just so you know, I was raised on a farm, I can tell you their isn't much I haven't seen."

"Yeah, well, believe me, I don't want to suffer the wrath of your son."

Howard stepped around her, mustering his courage before heading towards the closed door at the end of the hallway. He tapped lightly and waited.

"Yeah?" came a sleepy female voice from the other side of the door.

"Um, oh, hey, uh, it's Howard Wolowitz. I'm looking for Leonard."

Slowly the door began to open and Alex peered around it.

"Oh, hi. I guess the time got away from us. We were up pretty late last night. Leonard's still sleeping."

Howard laughed and tried to look past her, "Oh. Hello Alex. Yeah, well, can you wake him up? It's almost lunchtime and people, including his boss, are looking for him at the university."

"Gee, thanks for stopping by, we'd have slept the whole day away. You go on ahead and I'll wake him and get some coffee in him. Tell Doctor Gablehauser he'll be there soon."

"Did you find him, Howard?" Mary said, coming out of Sheldon's room and moving down the hallway.

"Um, yeah...he's..."

"Oh." Mary stopped short when she saw Alex. Her mind swirled with the knowledge that she'd been in on Amy's attack on Penny, but Eric had instructed her not to tell anyone that she was aware of Alex and Amy's interactions.

"Um, hi Mrs. Cooper."

Alex blushed and Mary noted that Alex's hand trembled when she lifted it to push her hair out of her face.

"Hello Alex," Mary said cooly. "Everything alright in there? Everyone is looking for Leonard."

"Yeah, it's fine. I was just telling Howard that we overslept. I'm gonna get Leonard up and moving if you two will excuse us now."

She went to push the door closed when Mary and Howard heard a loud thump coming from inside the room.

"What the hell is that?" Howard said, shoving his foot against the door frame to prevent Alex from pushing the door shut.

"Mmmmppfffff..."

Alex laughed nervously, "Oh, Leonard's starting to wake up...looks like he's got a pretty good hangover going on. He knocked over a lamp."

"Wait, let me..."

"Aw, come on Howard," Mary said, putting her hand on his shoulder, "can't you see these two love birds need some privacy? Looks like they had a wild night of drinking and love making. Alex, you tell Leonard to get up and get moving. Let's go Howard, you need to get to work and I have some shopping to do."

"But..."

"Come on Howard," Mary said, clamping down hard on his shoulder and sending up a silent prayer that he would shut up and leave with her.

"Okay Ma...uh, I mean, Mrs. Cooper." He stepped away from the door and looked back at her.

"Goodbye Alex," Mary said, adding for good measure, "Nice to see you again."

Alex nodded and quickly pushed the door closed. Mary lifted a finger to her lips to indicate to Howard that he didn't need to speak. She pointed towards the living room and gave him a gentle push and then followed him out, stepping into the bright florescent light of the hallway and moving quickly to Penny's apartment.

"What the frack?" Howard hissed, rubbing his pinched shoulder.

"I think," Mary said as she fumbled for her purse to retrieve her phone, "that she may be holding Leonard in his room against his will."

Howard's eyes widened as he began reaching for his own phone.

"Who are you calling?" she whispered as she quickly scrolled to Eric's number.

"I, uh, Raj?"

"No, no...call Sheldon first and tell him to go to Eric's office."

"Eric?" Mary gasp at the sound of his voice on the other end of the line.

Howard pressed Sheldon's name and waited for him to answer.

"Hi Mary, I was just about to call you and see how your day was going."

"Sheldon?" Howard croaked out.

"Eric, you need to get here quickly. I'm in Penny's apartment and I think Alex may be holding Leonard against his will in his bedroom."

"Howard? I'm glad you called. Raj tells me you're at my apartment looking for Leonard. Are you with him now?"

"Are you safe, Mary?" Eric said, standing and fishing his keys out of his pocket.

"Sheldon, you mom told me to call. You need to go quickly to Doctor Gablehauser's office. We need you here."

"I'm fine. Penny's fine. Howard is here too. We are in Penny's apartment. I don't think Alex knows we are on to her. Howard is on the phone with Sheldon now telling him to come to your office. Wait for him, he'll need a ride. And hurry."

"Oh God. Is Penny okay?" Sheldon asked, standing and motioning to Raj, who was in his office, to follow him.

"Mary, stay there, make sure the door is locked and don't let anyone in under any circumstances until we get there. I see Sheldon and Koothrappali heading my way, we'll be there soon."

"Penny's fine. She's in her room, she doesn't even know yet. She was getting dressed when your mom and I went over to check on Leonard."

"Drive safely, Eric. Bye."

"Howard, for the love of God, you better protect my Mom and Penny with everything you have until I can get there. If anything happens to either of them you will answer to me."

Howard nodded as if Sheldon could see him, then dropped the phone from his trembling hands as the line went dead.

**~s/p~**

"Oh, you thought you would be cute and try to signal to them that you were in trouble, huh? You thought knocking over a lamp would get their attention? Looks like you were wrong..."

Leonard dropped his chin to his chest and pressed his eyes together tightly. He could only hope that Mary or Howard would suspect that something was wrong.

Alex moved towards him. She cupped his chin and forced his face up.

"Look at me," she hissed, and he did so out of fear.

"Now, I'm going to take this shirt out of your mouth so we can talk. But if you make a single sound above a whisper, I'll make you regret it, got it?"

Leonard nodded and held his breath as Alex struggled with the knot to untie it. When the fabric dropped away from his mouth and into his lap he rolled his eyes up to meet hers, taking in deep, satisfying gulps of air.

"You...you have a gun?" he said, eying the metal handle that protruded from the waistband of her jeans.

"Yeah, how about that?" she laughed, lifting it out and using the barrel to drag an invisible trail down his chest.

"God, Alex. Please, be careful, okay? What's going on here? What are you going to do with me? You know my friends, and even Doctor Gablehauser, are looking for me."

"Yeah, I got that," she barked, stepping back and taking a seat on the edge of his bed that faced him.

"If I don't show up at the university soon, they'll know something is wrong. I heard you tell them I'd be there."

"So the best I can tell, that gives me about an hour to figure out what I'm going to do with you, wouldn't you say?"

"Please, Alex...let's just end this craziness...just put the gun down, untie me and leave."

"And then what? You call the police, I go to jail, and you continue your pursuit of that damn Penny."

"No...no...I told you, I've accepted that Penny is with Sheldon now. And look, you and I have a good thing going, right? Put the gun down, we'll forget this ever happened...I'll be with you, we'll be whatever you want us to be."

She sneered at him, "It's a little too late for that, Leonard. Do you really think I'd buy that crap? You're scared...you'll say anything just to get out of this. Kind of like you'll say anything just to get in a girl's pants, right? Kind of ironic, huh? You think you can just swing your cock around in whatever direction the wind is blowing and everything will be just fine. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's not. Your actions have consequences."

"Please Alex..."

He watched as Alex stroked the gun with her thumb, her finger just inches from the trigger.

**~s/p~**

"I'm ready," Penny said, stepping out of her bedroom and stopping when her eyes landed on Howard. "What are you doing here?"

"Penny," Mary said moving towards her, "there's a problem. Sheldon and Eric are on the way."

**~s/p~**

"Quietly," Eric whispered to Sheldon and Raj as they made their way up the stairs to the fourth floor.

"I hope Howard is okay," Raj squeaked in a shaky voice.

"_Howard_? My God, Raj. Penny and my mom are up there...the two people I love the most in my life."

"You two knock it off," Eric stopped and glared at them. They were on the third floor and he quickly removed his phone and pressed Mary's number, whispering into the phone that they were there and for her to crack the door so they could come inside when they got to the forth floor.

**~s/p~**

"What the fuck?" Penny hissed after Howard and Mary told her about finding Alex in Leonard's room.

"Penny, calm down. They will be here soon and we'll figure out what to do. My guess is we will call the police."

"Call the police and tell them what? That we_ think_ a lunatic is holding Leonard hostage in his own house? They'll just laugh at us. This is the big city, Mary. The police will hardly come out unless there's a dead body. Nope, I'm getting my bat and then I'm going over there to kick her ass."

"Penny," Howard spoke up, "are you forgetting you just got out of the hospital? You have broken ribs and are on pain medication. I hardly think you need to be going all junior rodeo right now. Besides, Sheldon said he'd kill me if anything happens to you."

"I don't take the medicine during the day, only at night. I'm fine," she returned to her bedroom and reappeared with a metal bat in her hand.

"You going with me or not, Wolowitz? Mary, you stay here, Sheldon and Eric will never forgive me if you get hurt."

"You want me to go?" Howard asked incredulously.

"Yeah, you can scrape Alex's cold, dead body off the floor after I'm finished with her."

Penny raked her hair into a tight ponytail and turned toward Howard, "Let's go, scaredy cat."

Penny had one hand on the doorknob, the bat cocked high over her head when she felt a long, slender arm snake around her body and lift her off the ground and a hand coming down, clamping across her mouth, preventing her from making a sound. In an instant the bat disappeared from her grip and she felt herself being carried back into her apartment.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Sheldon snarled at her, slowly lowering her to the floor as Raj closed the door behind them.

"Sheldon! You scared me!"

"Good. And _you_," he glared at Howard, "you were letting her go into that apartment with that...that, _criminal_ over there, with just a bat and broken ribs?"

"She called me a scaredy cat and threatened to beat me up," Howard sputtered, moving to stand behind Raj.

"They're not broken, just cracked," Penny mumbled in her own defense.

"Are you guys sure they are still in there?" Eric asked, leaning Penny's bat against the wall and rushing to check on Mary.

"Yeah, we've been watching and listening. No one has left."

"Very well. We called the police on the way here but it will take them forever to arrive. Some of us are going to have to go in there and try to talk to her, find out what's really going on."

"Wait. We can't do that, Eric. None of us are trained and we don't need anyone else getting hurt. Penny's still recovering and that's all I can handle. Let's just keep a watch out and wait for the cops," Mary said.

Eric looked to Sheldon, "Doctor Cooper, do you have any suggestions?"

Sheldon had pulled Penny into a tight embrace and now dropped his gaze to hers, "I can't lose you."

"Sheldon, I can take that bitch. It's her fault we are in this mess. She somehow convinced Amy to shoot me and now she's in there doing God knows what to Leonard."

"Listen, it's my apartment and my roommate, I'll be the one to go. I'll just act as if I am returning home from work and see what's going on. You guys didn't actually see Leonard anyway, this could be nothing."

"Or she could be armed. We know she has access to firearms."

Sheldon looked down at Penny, "I have to do this, okay? And I don't need to worry about your safety while I'm in there. I need you to promise me you will stay here."

"Sheldon...let Eric go with you."

"No. If Alex is up to something, she'll get suspicious if she sees him with me. She knows I wouldn't bring him home with me."

"Sheldon..." Penny began to softly cry and Mary moved to comfort her.

"Penny," Eric said, "he has to do this...he has to do it for himself. He's right, it's his apartment and his friend, ergo, his responsibility. He _needs_ to do this."

"Mary..." Penny cried, looking to her with pleading eyes.

"Honey, he's a true son of the Lone Star state, Texas through and through. Let him go."

Penny looked up at him, "I can't lose you either. You better be safe."

He smiled down at her, lifting her chin with his index finger, "Look what I have to come home to. Of course I'll be safe as long as I know you are over here waiting for me."

"Okay," Eric cleared his throat to get their attention. "As much as I'd love for one of us to go with Sheldon, I think it will throw up a red flag for Alex. He has to go alone. Sheldon, you go in, act casual, grab a drink from the fridge, shuffle around with your white boards and maybe your laptop, whatever you would normally do. Your objective is to obtain any information you can, either by seeing Leonard or speaking with Alex. Just make sure you never turn your back to the hallway where she could sneak up behind you. I'm going to be waiting and listening just outside the door with Wolowitz and Koothrappali. We will have to play it by ear as to what action to take, depending on what you may discover in there. Penny and Mary, you two crack the door just a bit and if I give you the signal you dial the police and tell them we have an emergency and they need to get here now. Everybody got it?"

"Well, I wanted to take batting practice on her head," Penny whined, "but yeah, I got it."

She gave Sheldon one last kiss for good luck and watched as he glided effortlessly across the hallway. She swallowed down the desire to shout at him that she loved him and that she was proud of him for being so brave. Instead, she wiped away her tears, grabbed her bat, and hunched beside Mary at the door, watching as Sheldon entered the apartment and the other guys positioned themselves outside the doorway.

**~s/p~**

The apartment was quiet and eerily still. Sheldon dropped his keys in the bowl beside the door and moved cautiously towards the kitchen. His eyes darted quickly around the room for any sign of distress, while his Vulcan hearing was on full alert. He popped the top on a can of soda and moved towards the living room, bending to grab the remote for the television. He flipped it on, thankful and comforted by the sound.

"Leonard, I'm home," he yelled out, "I'm making lunch, would you like a sandwich?"

He reasoned he'd like to get things moving, whatever was going on, he was ready to bring it to a head, he was not in the mood to play sick games with Alex. It took every ounce of his self control to not storm down the hall and demand she speak to him, that she let him speak with Leonard.

He was surprised when he heard the sound of Leonard's door opening, and he quickly made his way back to the island in the kitchen, remembering what Eric had said about not turning his back on her.

"Sheldon?"

Alex appeared from the hallway and he noted her tired eyes and weary face.

"Oh, hello Alex," he said calmly, "I didn't realize you were here."

He fought every nerve in his face to not twitch.

"Yeah, I stayed over with Leonard. He's still sleeping," she eyed Sheldon suspiciously.

"Very well. Would you like a sandwich? We have ham and turkey, your choice."

"Yeah, I'll take turkey, thanks. And could you make one for Leonard too? I'll take it in there to him. Oh, and when you get a chance, could you call Doctor Gablehauser and tell him Leonard won't be in today? Tell him he's sick or something, whatever, just make an excuse for him."

Sheldon raised his eyebrow at her, "_Is_ he sick?"

"Um, no, not really. He's just got a really bad hangover. We stayed up way too late last night. Sex, drinking, you know, the usual..."

"Ah, young love," he said sarcastically, unable to hide his contempt.

"Are you okay? You're acting kind of weird."

"I'm fine," he snapped, "I...I just have a headache. You may return to the bedroom, I'll bring the sandwiches in a moment. And would you please tell Leonard to get up and join the living. I need to speak with him."

"That's okay," she said as she slid onto a stool across the island from him. "I can wait."

Sheldon fidgeted with his hands, his eyes blazing a path to hers. He wondered if she knew he was onto her, or if she were so far gone she actually thought she was making a successful attempt to deceive him. He turned towards the refrigerator to gather the ingredients for the sandwiches, never forgetting to keep a keen eye on her at all times.

"So," he said, making a flimsy attempt at small talk, "are you prepared for the fall semester? It will be starting soon."

"Yes, I am. I look forward to getting back to work with you, as well as continuing with my academic pursuits."

"For me."

"What?"

"You work _for_ me, not _with_ me."

She nervously cleared her throat, shifting her body slightly to adjust for the cold, hard metal of the gun which was tucked tightly into the back waistband of her pants.

"Um, yes, sorry."

Sheldon make three turkey sandwiches quickly and efficiently, placing each on its own plate, and shoved two of them across the counter at her.

"Here, go wake your hungover boyfriend and get this food in him. I expect to speak with him in ten minutes."

"Thanks," she mumbled, snatching the plates up and retreating down the hallway.

When he heard the door to Leonard's bedroom slam shut, Sheldon fell back against the counter behind him, fear washing over him at her psychotic behavior. He wanted nothing more than to confront Alex about the part she played in Amy's shooting of Penny, but the frighteningly wild look in her eyes served as warning that he not broach the subject.

**~s/p~**

Alex closed the door behind her and put the sandwiches on Leonard's bed.

"Okay, I'm going to take that gag out of your mouth, but you know the drill. Sheldon is wanting to talk to you in a few minutes, I'm starting to freak out here..."

She fingered the knot slowly, tugging away at it until if finally came free.

"Alex," he whispered, frightened by her deranged behavior, "please...just let me go. There is no need to involve Sheldon in this, it's between you and me. Just let me go, I'm really starting to hurt. I think my wrists are bleeding and I need to go to the bathroom."

"Just shut up!" she hissed, removing the gun from her pants and placing it on the bed. "Here, eat." Alex held the sandwich to Leonard's mouth and watched as he took a tentative bite.

"After we eat, I'm going to have to go out there and take care of Sheldon."

**~s/p~**

Sheldon stepped into his bedroom and pressed his ear to the wall that separated his room from Leonard's. He'd heard Alex's last words and it scared him. He quickly pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a text to Eric.

"Damn." Gablehauser shook his head after reading Sheldon's text. He turned to Mary and whispered for her to phone the police again and tell them it was urgent, then quickly replied to Sheldon.

_You are going to have to take her out. She sounds desperate._

Sheldon read the text while nervously licking his lips and scanning his room for a useful weapon, quickly realizing that all he had was plastic replicas in his cherished collection. He made a mental note to purchase a real item of protection after this was over with. But for now, the most powerful piece of weaponry he owned was a mint in box Type-II Hand Phaser (c. 2266) from Star Trek, Original Series.

_How?_

_Come to the door. Make it quick._

Sheldon eased his door open and moved rapidly to the front door, smiling when he saw Penny's aluminum bat leaning against the doorframe. He snatched it up and rushed back to his bedroom.

He felt his phone vibrate and quickly pulled it from his pocket.

_The door is cracked, make your move, we'll be right on your heels. Police are on the way._

Sheldon gave a firm nod to his empty room and gripped the bat tightly in his hands. He took a few swings in the air, sucked in a deep breath and stepped confidently into the hallway.

"Leonard!" he yelled towards the hallway.

He was sure he heard muffled whispers and the shuffling of feet coming from Leonard's room and he waited, holding his breath, for a reply. When none came, he yelled again.

"Leonard, I demand your presence. I need to speak with you. Come out of your room or I am coming in. And please be wearing clothing."

Sheldon's mind was spinning now, doubt setting in, wondering if this were all imagined. Maybe Leonard really was still in bed with a hangover. Maybe Amy was lying to shift the blame off herself and onto Alex. Maybe, maybe, maybe...

He froze in the doorway of his room when he heard the sound of Leonard's bedroom door opening down the hall. He squeezed the bat tightly and held his breath, listening intently at the footsteps coming towards him, his mind calculating time and space and velocity, gathering his strength and will, all surging together to work in unison.

Sheldon saw the gun first, as Alex had thrust it forward, and for a moment it felt to him as if he were watching a movie, because wasn't it only in movies that people walked around with guns at the ready? Gathering his focus, and holding his breath while pushing down his panic, he swung the bat with all his might. He watched as it made contact with Alex's midsection, causing her to drop the firearm and double over, collapsing on the floor.

He didn't remember speaking, but he heard his own trembling voice yell for help as he swiftly stepped over her crumpled body and made his way to Leonard's room. Twisting the doorknob while sending up a silent prayer that it wasn't locked...it wasn't...he nudged the door open, his eyes falling to his roommate's body tied to a wooden chair.

Leonard's head shot up at the sound of Sheldon entering the room, his eyes blurred from fear and exhaustion. He tired to speak, to express his relief at the sight of his lanky roommate, but the shirt in his mouth only allowed for muffled grunts.

"Oh my God," Sheldon yelped, rushing to undo the gag and ropes.

"Thank you," Leonard rasped in a weak voice.

Sheldon nodded and bent to untie the restraints that bound Leonard's feet. His ears perked at the sound of his friends rushing in, and he released a soft sigh when he heard Eric yell that it was over, that they had Alex under their control.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he removed the last restraint that held Leonard's torso against the chair.

"I...I've been tied up for hours. She's crazy. Thank God you came home. You saved my life."

"It's over now...can you stand?"

"Yeah, I'm sore...my wrists and ankles are bleeding, but other than that I think I'm okay."

"Sheldon!"

Penny and Mary entered the room and he turned to face them, finding himself comforted by their presence. Penny wrappe her arms around him and pulled him flush against her warm body.

"You're a hero, Texas," she whispered, locking her arms around his neck.

"Hey, don't hog him all to yourself," Mary said, giving Penny a gentle pat on her shoulder.

"I never want to let him go," Penny laughed, pulling back and stretching up to land a kiss on his cheek.

"Well, I'm his momma and I need to hug my baby boy."

Penny reluctantly released him, moving away so Mary could pull him into her own embrace.

"So, you okay?" she asked, stepping closer to Leonard and helping him to his feet.

"Yeah, just a little shaken up...scared half to death...other than that, I'm fine."

"Damn Leonard, you sure know how to pick, 'em, huh? She was a nut job."

"Yeah. Thank God Sheldon got here. I think she was about to kill me."

"Yes well, this would be, what, the _second_ time Sheldon has saved your life? The first time in the elevator with that rocket fuel stuff and now _this_? Wow."

"Everything okay in here?" Howard said, appearing in the doorway.

"Yes...and Alex is under control out there?" Sheldon said, struggling to free himself from the tight clutch of his mother.

"Yeah, we have her hands tied together and she's sitting in the floor against the wall. Doctor Gablehauser is on the phone with the police, they are almost here."

"Thank you Jesus," Mary said, eying Sheldon with a sharp look, "You see, son, prayer really does work."

"Mrs. Cooper," Howard interject before Sheldon could launch into a lecture about his mother's deity, "Doctor Gablehauser was amazing out there. He was calm under pressure, I was impressed."

"Yeah," Raj said, entering the room, "he was like a superhero."

Mary grinned and shoved her way past them, "Well, then, get out of my way boys. I need to go reward him, now don't I?"

"Oh God," Sheldon mumbled, "make it stop."

Penny reached to squeeze his ass and grinned up at him, "Don't worry baby, you'll be getting your own reward later tonight."

**~s/p~**

They stood on the sidewalk in front of the building and watched as the police drove away with a handcuffed Alex riding in the backseat of a patrol car.

"You folks get some rest, I have your initial statements, but you'll all need to come to the station in the morning for a more in depth interview."

"Thank you, Detective," Eric said, extending his hand and giving him an appreciative nod.

An exasperated Bernadette arrived just as they were turning to enter the building. Howard filled her in as the group climbed the stairs back to the fourth floor.

"How about I fix dinner for everyone tonight?" the perky blonde asked after hearing the horrifying details of their ordeal.

"That's be great, Bernadette," Penny said, "I really don't feel like going out."

"Great! Howard, you and Raj come with me, we need to go grocery shopping. We'll be back in a few hours. Leonard, is it okay if we do it in your apartment?"

"Yeah, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks Bernadette."

Sheldon leaned into Penny and whispered, "I really need to be alone with you."

Penny took his hand and pulled him towards her apartment, offering a shy smile to Mary.

"Um, yeah...we'll see you guys in a few hours for dinner."

Eric, Mary and Leonard watched as Sheldon and Penny crossed the hallway, barely able to contain themselves before finally disappearing behind her closed door. Eric winced at the loud thump that echoed through the stillness of the stale air on the fourth floor landing.

"Well," Mary said slowly, looking between Eric and Leonard, "and then there were three."

Leonard drug his hand though his hair and rolled his eyes up to them, "You guys are welcome to come in, but I really would like to take a shower and a nap before everyone comes back."

Eric smiled at him, "I understand, I'm sure you are exhausted and need some time alone. You've been through a harrowing experience."

"Yes, you get some rest," Mary said, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a motherly hug, "we'll go back to Eric's house for awhile and be back in a few hours to help Bernadette with the food."

"Thanks, Mrs. Cooper...for everything."

"Aw, honey, it's fine. You just take care...lock your door and don't be letting any strange girls in," she laughed and winked at him.

"Believe me, I've learned my lesson. I'm think I'm going work on how to enjoy being single for awhile...I need a break from women."

"Sounds like a solid plan," Eric said, taking Mary's hand in his.

Leonard waved as they disappeared down the stairs, then pushed his door open and stumbled to the sofa, falling face down into Sheldon's spot...alone again, naturally.

**~s/p~**

"Baby," Penny sighed when he pushed her against the door and buried his face in her neck, his lips leaving a trail of passion along her flesh.

"I was so scared," he whispered, baring his soul to her.

"I know, I know...me too," she said, "but it's over...you were my hero...always my hero..."

His hands were settled on her hips now, slowly making their way to her ass, tenderly cupping each cheek and pulling her into his growing arousal.

"All I could think about was you..." he exhaled, the warmth of his breath sending shivers across her body. "I...I wanted to take care of you...to make you proud that I am yours."

His honestly overwhelmed her, his raw emotions and vulnerability on full display, touching her so profoundly that tears began to form, slowly sliding from the corners of her eyes.

"Sheldon, look at me...you...you make me proud every day. Even before we were in this relationship, I was proud of you as your friend. I used to brag about you to other people. The last time I went home, my family had to tell me to stop talking about you all the time because I couldn't shut up about you."

He pulled his head back and looked down at her through heavily lidded eyes, "_My Nebraska..._" he sighed, dragging an index finger along the contour of her face.

She sniffed and grinned up at him, "My big, strong, smart, hot Texas man..."

Leaning in, he captured her in a slow, seductive kiss that quickly turned heated. He bent his knees to allow his hands to slide lower along the backside of her legs, pulling her upwards, urging her forward, allowing him to lift her, directing her legs to wrap around his waist, eliciting a deep groan from her.

"Sexy as fuck," she whispered when he broke the kiss, turning to carry her into the bedroom.

They slowly undressed one another, his hands never leaving her body, her eyes never moving away from his.

"I want you," he said, laying her in the center of the bed and lowering himself onto her.

He penetrated her slowly, his palms planted firmly on either side of her to support his weight. He sucked at her breasts, worshiping them, loving her.

"I love you Texas."

"And I you, Nebraska."

She smiled up at him, her hands on his cheeks, memorizing every beautiful detail of his face. His moved in and out of her, working them both into a frenzied state of bliss, her legs wrapped tightly around his torso, his name tumbling over her lips as she came and him following right behind her, groaning her name as his orgasm rolled through him, the sheer honestly of the moment more powerful than any words they could speak.

**~s/p~**

"Wake up, Babe," she whispered in his ear, her teeth nipping softly at his skin.

"I don't want to," he sighed, rolling towards her and peppering her arm with kisses.

"They are waiting for us across the hall."

"I just want to stay in bed with you..._forever._"

"Aw, sweetie, I wish we could. But I think after the day we all had, we really do need to be together with our friends. Besides, you mom will be going back to Texas tomorrow so we need to go spend some time with her."

"Very well. Would you care to join me in the shower before we go?"

She tugged the sheet away from him, shaking her head and admiring his naked body, "Well, yeah, I need one, but you have to promise no funny business. We don't have much time."

"Scout's honor," he said, flashing her the Vulcan hand signal.

She scooted closer to him, "I don't believe that you or Spock was a Boy Scout, mister."

He grinned at her, "Then I can't be held to my promise, can I?"

She swatted him with her pillow and then crawled out of bed.

"Hey," she said, turning to him, "Mary told me that you and Eric were responsible for getting Alex on that ship. What's up with that and why didn't you tell me?"

"Well," he said, getting out of bed, "I always suspected that given the opportunity, Leonard would engage in coitus with Alex. After you and I agreed to investigate our feelings for each other while he was away, I wanted to make sure to give him every opportunity to, shall I use the colloquial term, 'screw up' with you. You know, just in case I wasn't able to woo you sufficiently."

"Oh, so Alex was sort of like an insurance policy for you, something to fall back on in case you and I didn't 'take' on our first try."

He cleared his throat and wrapped his warm, nude body around hers, "Very good, Penny, nice analogy."

"Yeah, yeah...well, I am dating a genius, you know. I suppose some of his smarts rub off on me. Now move that sexy ass to the shower, we need to hurry."

"Indeed," he said, leading her to the bathroom.

By the time Sheldon and Penny arrived, Bernadette and Mary were finishing up with the last of the cooking.

"Hey," Penny said, joining them in the kitchen, "why didn't you guys call me? I would have helped."

Bernadette grinned and gave her a knowing look, "We thought it best just to let you stay over there and, well, you know, _take care of Sheldon_."

"Um, yeah, I did take care of him _real good_," Penny smirked, rolling her hips to bump against Bernadette's backside.

"Hey, that's my baby boy you're talking about," Mary said, unable to stop the grin that spread across her face.

"Sorry Mrs. Cooper," Bernadette said, stifling a fit of giggles.

"Sorry Mary," Penny smiled, a pink blush rising on her cheeks.

"Hey, you gals got the food ready?"

Bernadette rolled her eyes, "Listen Howard, do you want me to tell everyone how much more money I earn than you?"

"Noooooo..."

"Then stop calling us 'gals', got it?"

"Yes, dear."

"Listen everyone," Leonard stood and moved to the center of the room, "I need to say something before we eat."

The room grew quiet and all eyes fell on him. He fidgeted with his hoodie and then crammed his hands in his pockets, finally lifting his gaze to his friends.

"I just, well, first, I want to thank you all for everything you did for me today. Had it not been for you guys I might not be standing here right now. Sheldon, I want to especially say thanks to you. You showed a tremendous amount of bravery, and I'm sure it was not easy for you. You were the perfect example of a friend..._a real friend_, the kind of friend that would put his life on the line, that has your back, the kind of friend that would help you bury a body in the middle of the night if you called on them."

Sheldon looked around, "Leonard, while I consider you a dear friend, I will not be burying any bodies with you, so please do not call and request that I do so."

Raj nudged him in the ribs, "It's a metaphor, Dude."

"Ohhh..."

"Also," Leonard continued, smiling at Sheldon, then turning to Penny, "I did learn one thing from Alex. I can't just be bed hopping from girl to girl. It's not fair to the girl and it's not fair to me, either. I can honestly tell you that it will be a long while before I date again, and I'll make sure I know the girl very well before I begin a physical relationship with her."

"Well, thank the Lord," Mary said.

Penny and Bernadette exchanged knowing looks and gave Leonard a reassuring nod.

"Okay, that's it. Let's eat!" Leonard said, moving towards the kitchen.

The meal was good, the wine was better, and the fellowship between the group was best of all. They laughed and traded stories laced with memories of years past. At the end of the evening, they all hugged Mary Cooper goodbye, Sheldon hugging her tightest of all.

"Thanks for everything," he said, as he and Penny stood in the parking lot with Mary and Eric.

"Oh, Shelly Bean, this has been one heck of a good trip. Even if I did get shot at," she laughed, moving closer to Eric as he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder.

"I love you Mom," Sheldon said, kissing her softly on the cheek.

"You see? Penny's been real good for you. Used to, you wouldn't show me this much affection. Now you can't stop hugging me."

Sheldon sighed, "Well, you are my mom."

She returned his kiss, "I love you too, Honey."

"Bye Mary...and for the record, I love you too."

"Aw, Penny, you know I love you too. Just like my son, I loved you the first time I met you...well, you know, not in the same way, but well, you know."

Penny smiled at her, "I know."

Mary pulled her into a final hug and whispered, "You take care of my baby boy."

"You know I will," Penny whispered back before releasing her.

"Alright, enough with the Love Fest," Eric said, "Mary has an early flight in the morning. Sheldon, I'll see you at work tomorrow afternoon. Penny, it was a pleasure as always."

"Bye Eric."

As they drove away, Sheldon dropped his arm around Penny's shoulder and walked her back into their building.

"You know," he said as they ascended the stairs, "my mom is right, you are good for me, Nebraska."

"Yeah, if your mom knew about that tattoo on your foot, she may not feel the same way about me."

"Oh well, what mom doesn't know won't hurt her, now will it?"

"True...and that's a good thing...because if she had any clue what I'm gonna do to her 'baby boy' when I get you back in my bed tonight, she'd be dragging your ass back to Texas with her," Penny laughed, pushing past him and running up the stairs.

He sped up behind her, attempting to catch his girl, snatching at her and pulling her down the stairs into his arms.

"Well, you know my motto" he said, his tone deep with lustful anticipation, "In the words of the immortal Captain Jean Luc Picard, _make it so_."

"Touché" she laughed, dragging him up the stairs and straight to her bed.


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

Sheldon stood in the groom's room of the church. He tugged at the collar of his tuxedo and glanced around, checking his watch for the time.

"You ready for this?" Eric asked, ducking down to check himself one final time in the mirror that was perched on the table near the door.

"Yes. And you?"

"Never better."

On the opposite side of the church, Penny pranced about in the bride's room, checking her lipstick and hair.

"Mary?" she called out, knocking softly on the closed bathroom door.

"Just a sec," came the twang tinged voice on the other side.

"Leave her alone, Penny. She's all sentimental and crying, keeps messing up her make-up and having to reapply it," Sheldon's sister Missy said, moving closer to Penny to peer into the mirror next to her.

Penny laughed, "Yeah, I get it."

"So you and Sheldon, huh? Who woulda thunk it?"

"Missy," came a voice from across the room, "Sheldon Lee and I both have told you a million times that thunk is not proper grammar. And for that matter, neither is 'woulda.' Lord have mercy."

"Aw, MeeMaw, I'm just messing around. I speak proper grammar when I'm at work, but here with my family I let the true Missy Cooper shine."

"And I love you for it, sweetheart. I just don't want Sheldon's girl there thinking we are a family of uneducated hillbillies."

"Oh MeeMaw," Penny laughed, bending to give the older lady a kiss, "I just love every one of you. I would never think such a thing. And if you want to know a secret, I was afraid you all would think _I _was the uneducated hillbilly."

MeeMaw smiled at her, "No, I'd never think that. My MoonPie is picky as the dickens, if he says he's found the perfect woman, I won't question his judgement."

"So MeeMaw, did ya ever think Shelly would fall in love?"

"Oh yes, Missy. He's a sweet and special boy and I trusted that the Lord had someone wonderful out there made just for him. He just had to find her."

"Ten minutes, Ladies," Tom Melvin, the wedding planner bellowed, cracking the door open and poking his head in to give them a toothy grin.

"Good Lord, Tom," MeeMaw squawked, "there's a bunch of girls in here. One of us could have been undressed."

"Now Mrs. Lee, you've known me my whole life. You know good and well there isn't a damn thing any of you women have that I'm interested in. Now you girls be ready, I'll be back in eight minutes to start moving you to the aisle."

He pulled the door closed and scuttled down the hallway towards the groom's room, licking his lips at the prospect of opening _that_ door.

"Here we are in the Lord's House and that guy is cursing and talking about liking boys instead of women. What the hell is this world coming to?"

"Who's cursing now, MeeMaw?" Missy laughed, standing and going to bang on the bathroom door. "Momma! Tom said we gotta go. Get a move on."

"Oh, Missy, 'hell' isn't a curse word...but it sure is where the world is heading...it's going straight to hell in a hand basket. Good Lord."

Penny shook her head and reached for her purse, digging through it to locate her phone.

_Hey Texas. I'm in love with your family. You okay over there on your side?_

Sheldon lifted his phone and smiled, his finger tracing over the pink hearts she'd attached to her text.

_Other than Tom Melvin in here trying to catch us with our pants down, I'm quite fine. I look forward to seeing you at the alter. Oh, and my family loves you right back._

Sheldon moved slowly down the aisle, his grandmother's arm hooked through his. He escorted her to her predetermined spot, then waited patiently as she was seated, bending to lightly brush his lips across her cheek.

"I love you MeeMaw," he whispered, before quickly turning to retreat back to the lobby and take his place in the wedding procession. The entire church chuckled when MeeMaw yelled at him halfway up the aisle, "I love you too, MoonPie." Sheldon blushed and sped up his pace, urgently pushing though the swinging doors that led him to the waiting wedding party.

"Aw, MoonPie," Penny teased and Missy joined in with her.

"Alright, you two," Tom said, clapping his hands together to get their attention. "Eric just took his place next to the minister. Sheldon, you and Penny are up...go...and keep it slow just like we practiced last night."

Sheldon grinned down at Penny and held his arm out for her. The music played softly in the background as they glided down the aisle.

"We're next," he whispered just before they parted ways at the alter.

Penny's eyes shot up and she gave him a confused look as she moved to her side of the minister. Sheldon took his place beside Eric, standing tall and giving her a quick wink.

"Thanks for being my best man," Eric whispered to Sheldon as they watched Raj lead Missy down the aisle.

"Thanks for treating my mother like a queen," Sheldon whispered back.

The church went silent for a moment, then the organist broke into the bridal march and the congregation stood, all eyes turning to Mary as she made her entrance. Mary had been slightly opposed to such a large, formal wedding to begin with. But her mother had insisted on giving her daughter a "proper wedding" since she'd been denied such an event when her daughter had married "that no good drunken bum" the first time around. Upon Missy and Penny's urging, she'd given in, and now, looking around at this gathering of their family and friends, she was glad she'd reconsidered.

Sheldon fought back tears as he watched his mother and Eric recite their vows. If anyone deserved a life of happiness, it was Mary Cooper, soon to be Mary Gablehauser. He lifted his sight to Penny and smiled at her, realizing that she too was crying tears of joy for his mother and Eric.

After the ceremony and more pictures than anyone really needed, they gathered in the massive hall of the church to celebrate with a reception. Food of all sorts lined the buffet tables along the wall and a band played softly in the background.

"Care to sway with me?" Sheldon said, coming up behind Penny and glaring at the Cooper cousin whom appeared to be hitting on her.

"For sure," she smiled, taking his proffered arm and moving to the dance floor with him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed contentedly when he snaked his around her waist.

"I'll never get over the feeling of euphoria I experience when I'm swaying with you, Penny."

She combed her fingers though his hair at the nape of his neck and lifted her eyes to meet his.

"What you said," she grinned at him.

"I see you continue to expand your vocabulary."

"Watch it smarty pants or I'll tell your momma _and_ your MeeMaw on you."

"Well, as threatening as that may be, from the looks of it, I'd venture to say that my mother could not care less what her son is doing at the moment."

"Yeah...it's so romantic. Your mom looks beautiful and I never thought I'd say this, but Eric looks incredibly handsome too."

"Statistics show that women believe all men appear more handsome when dressed in a tuxedo."

Penny laughed, "Yeah, it looks like Raj's tux is working it's magic on your sister. Missy can't take her eyes off him."

"Let's get out of here," Sheldon said, taking her hand in his and pulling her towards the nearest exit.

"What?"

"I want to show you something...it's behind the church."

Penny followed, allowing him to lead her to the outside and down a narrow stone path in the back of the church.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see" he said, smiling down at her. "It was my favorite spot when I was a boy growing up here."

After a few unexpected twists and turns, they came to an opening in the trees and Penny was surprised to see a neatly painted wooden gazebo perched along the side of a small pond. Sheldon pulled her towards it and they both leaned against the railing looking out over the water.

"Sheldon...it's so pretty."

"Yes, at least half my childhood was spent on the grounds of this church. My mother was an active member of just about every committee and a participant in all the prayer groups. She'd make me come with her and when she had her head bowed in prayer, I'd sneak off down here and sit by myself...pondering my future...the universe...God...everything."

"God?" she whispered.

"Yeah, it's funny how my mom and all the other adults were seeking Him so desperately in that church building, all the while, I never felt His presence more than here in this spot. They kept looking for Him, while all along, I had His full attention right here in this old gazebo next to the pond."

"I love that about you."

"Well, just don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Why? You don't want to share Him with anyone?"

He laughed, "Well, there's _that_. But maybe I don't let just anyone know I believe in Him."

"I'm glad to know that you don't consider me _just anyone_."

"Penny, don't you know? You _aren't_ just anyone...you are everything...everything in the world to me. It's funny, as a boy I spent hours here in this very spot pleading with a higher power I wasn't sure I believed in...begging for..._acceptance_...for my life to have meaning and to feel a sense of, I don't know...normalcy, even though I was well aware of my exceptionalism."

"Sheldon..."

He reached to tuck a stray blonde strand of hair behind her ear.

"And when I had given up all hope, He brought this wild, crazy, funny, loving girl all the way from Nebraska to California and landed her square on my doorstep."

"That's...Sheldon...God...you, that's so sweet."

"Here I stand, Penny," he said, reaching into the interior pocket of his tuxedo, "in my _original spot_, the spot I claimed long before Leonard purchased that ridiculous leather sofa...the spot where I mapped out my future, reached out and at times, _cried out,_ to God," he bent to his knee in front of her, opening a small felt box and exposing the brilliant diamond that fit snugly inside, "and I ask you, will you marry me? Will you be my wife? Will you take a chance on me and spend the rest of your life with me?"

She was crying now...tears of love and joy...surrounded by the echoes of birds and frogs and insects that inhabited the pond.

"Sheldon," she said, dropping to her knees to join him, "yes...yes...yes." She placed a hand on either side of his face and pulled him to her, peppering his forehead and cheeks with tiny kisses.

"I have this ring for you," he said nervously, pushing it closer.

"I see," she said, peering down at it. "It is...God, Sheldon...that's beautiful...did you pick it out yourself?"

"I'm pleased you approve," he said, lifting it out of the box and pushing it onto her extended finger. "And no, I had three generations of women with me and we all agreed on this one. It appears we were correct, it's perfect for you."

"What makes it perfect," she said, twisting it with her thumb and smiling at the way the sunlight reflected off of it, "is that you picked it out especially for me...it's perfect because it's from you."

"So...we're engaged," he sighed, kissing her softly. "You are mine and I am yours, right? I no longer have to worry about you leaving me for some other guy?"

She grinned at him, "Don't you know, Texas? It's been you all along. No other guy was ever going to take me from you. I just had to wait around until you were ready to claim me."

"Well," he said, standing, pulling her up with him, "Consider yourself claimed."

**~s/p~**

Penny packed the last of the boxes and slid it across the floor to place against the wall.

"That's it," she said, rubbing her hands together and turning to face Sheldon.

"I'm going to miss this place," he confessed, trailing his hand along the cool surface of the kitchen island.

"Me too," she laughed, but it's certainly no place for CalTech's new head of the Physics Department to live."

"Well, that, plus Missy needs this apartment more than we do."

"This is the perfect sublet for her. And Raj will be right across the hall!"

"Yes, he was the obvious choice to be Leonard's new roommate. Besides, even though Leonard has vowed to change his ways with women, there is no way Raj would want Missy living near Leonard without him being around to make sure Leonard doesn't fall back into his old habits."

Penny smiled, "Well, you and Raj don't need to worry, Missy is much smarter than either of you give her credit for."

"I'm counting on it," Sheldon said, shaking his head.

"Besides, you are Leonard's boss now. He'd be a fool to mess with the the sister of his boss."

"One would think..."

"Hey guys," Leonard said, stepping into the apartment and giving them a quick smile.

"Speak of the devil," Sheldon sighed.

Leonard laughed, "Sheldon, I swear, I'm not going to try anything with your sister. I respect Raj too much, and besides, she made it clear years ago that she was not interested in me at all."

"Well, you certainly tried hard enough."

"Let it go, Sheldon," Penny hissed, turning to face Leonard. "Leonard, we really do appreciate you helping with the move. You are a good friend."

"Yeah well, after Doctor Gablehauser moved to Texas and Sheldon got appointed to head of the Physics Department, I realized the fate of my career is in the hands of your fiancé. What choice do I have? He's going to milk it for all it's worth."

"Indeed," Sheldon retorted.

**~s/p~**

The autumn of the year was settling in with a new semester underway. Raj was living in Sheldon's old room and Missy had arrived a few weeks earlier in a rented van, all of her possessions fitted neatly inside. Before long, she'd made Penny's old apartment her own.

Penny had received a call from a local community theater extending an offer for her to serve as the assistant to the director of their theater education program for young people in the Pasadena area. It was a part-time job and didn't pay much, but it allowed her to work in acting and stage management and to share her love of the arts with area youth. She was also enrolled in classes at a small private college, working towards her BFA in Theater.

Sheldon was adjusting to his new role at the university. He kept in constant contact with his new stepfather to assure that he'd be the best head of the Physics Department CalTech had ever seen.

"I love our new home," Penny whispered as she snuggled close to him on the sofa.

"It is quite nice, isn't it?"

"Oh, admit it Sheldon...your favorite thing about it is that you can walk to work."

"No" he said turning to face her, "my favorite thing about it is that you are here with me."

Penny pressed in close to him, "Me too, Texas, me too."

He encouraged her to move closer, pulling her onto his lap and kissing her as if his life depended on it.

"We need," he said between kisses, "to set a date for our wedding."

"Ummhmmm..." she hummed, smoothing her lips along his neck.

"I can't believe...mmmm...Penny...good...I can't believe we've come this far in just a matter of months."

"Yeah...amazing..." she whispered in his ear as she trailed her hands under his shirts, her nails teasing his sensitive flesh.

"My...Penny...my Skype alert is sounding..."

"Ignore it," she huffed, fumbling with his belt buckle.

"I...I'm expecting a call from President Siebert. That could be him."

Penny pulled back and studied his serious face, "Uggg..." she huffed, "we aren't even married yet and you're turning me down for sex already."

He laughed, "Oh no, we're going to finish this, I assure you...we are _so_ going to finish this. It's just, right now while this job is still new to me, I don't need any missteps. But I'm a fast learner, as you are aware. I predict I'll be running the entire university in less than a year."

Penny laughed and climbed off of him, "You know what? I believe you."

"Oh my," he said after lifting the top of his computer and viewing the incoming Skype call.

"What is it?" she asked, stretching over him to see the screen.

"It's Amy," he replied, leaning back to look at her.

"Answer it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes...hurry, before she disconnects."

"Very well," he said, hitting the answer button.

"Hello Sheldon," Amy smiled into her webcam and gave him a small wave.

"Hello Amy."

"Well, unless you've grown your hair long and dyed it blonde, I am assuming those beautiful blonde locks cascading down your shoulder belong to Penny. Would that be correct?"

Sheldon nodded and Penny leaned closer to him, coming onto the screen of Amy's monitor.

"Hi Amy!" she chirped, giving her an excited wave.

"Oh...hello Penny. I must confess that I am pleasantly surprised that you are speaking to me after the horrendous thing I did to you. I assumed you would hate me."

Penny smiled at her, "Yeah, it was pretty bad. It's a good thing you are such a lousy shot though, huh? I'm totally fine now...thanks to this guy," Penny jerked her thumb towards Sheldon, "I've got more love in my heart than hate...so no, I don't hate you Amy. Just, you know, could you not shoot me again?"

Amy gave a small laugh and nodded her head vigorously, "I swear on my love of monkeys that I'll never fire another shot at you."

"Good!"

"Seriously Penny, can you ever forgive me?"

Penny sighed and leaned in closer, "I forgave you a long time ago, Amy. You are my friend and I am fine. I just want to move on."

"And what about you, Sheldon? I presume you aren't as forgiving as Penny."

"You assume correctly," he mumbled, rolling his eyes and looking away from the monitor.

"Sheldon," Penny said, looping her arm around his neck, "we talked about this."

"No, _you_ talked about it. I merely nodded and listened to what you had to say."

Penny shrugged at Amy, "Sorry."

Amy smiled back at her, "Don't be. He loves you and what I did was horrible. I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive my own self. I'm seeing a top notch counselor now and she is helping me work my way though my numerous psychological issues."

"That's great, Amy. I hope you can work though it. So how's everything going there? Are you happy?"

"Well, I miss you...all of you...even Howard," Amy laughed. "I miss Pasadena and my old job, but I've accepted this is where I need to be. I know I can never come back to the states."

"Yeah," Penny said, "Just so you know, I told the police I didn't want to press charges but they said you'd broken more laws than just shooting me, gun laws and other stuff, and I have no authority to drop the charges. You will still be arrested if you ever come back."

"I know," Amy said in a hushed tone.

"Amy," Sheldon snorted, "is there a reason for your call? Penny and I were about to engage in coi..."

Penny reached to pinch his forearm, warning him not to finish his sentence.

"Ouch!" he yelped, turning to look at her and push her hand away.

"She doesn't need to know what we were about to do, Sheldon...God!"

Amy laughed, "I see some things never change."

"You bet," Penny smirked at Sheldon who was now gently rubbing the red splotch on his arm.

"Actually, I heard that you two were engaged...um, _engaged to be married_, just to clarify, and I wanted to extend my congratulations and best wishes to you both."

"Aw, thanks Amy. We haven't set a date yet, but yeah, we're getting married."

"Okay, this is enough clucking from you hens, we need to disconnect now Amy."

Penny shook her head and Amy laughed, "I understand. I...well, I wish I could be there to witness and participate in your nuptials. But I did this to myself and have to suffer the circumstances."

"Indeed," Sheldon said, "Goodbye Amy."

And with that, he pressed the button to disconnected.

"We have unfinished business," he said, standing and pulling Penny to her feet along with him.

"You were rude to Amy."

"Penny," he said as he led her to their bedroom, "Amy shot you. Therefore I believe _her_ rudeness _far_ exceeds _my_ rudeness."

"Rudeness is not a competition," she giggled as he pushed her down onto the bed and crawled up next to her.

"Well," he murmured into her ear, "I'm about to do some pretty rude things to you, Nebraska."

"Mmmmm...I love it when you get all rude with me."

"Yeah?" he asked, dragging his fingers under her shirt, causing her to release a high pitched giggle filled squeal. "Do you like this?"

"Oh...yeah...and don't you dare stop."

He rolled onto his back bringing her with him, landing her on top of him.

"You feel so incredibly good," he sighed.

"You do too, Baby," she said, slowly beginning to grind her hips into his.

"Penny?"

"Yeah?"

"It sure was one hell of a summer."

"Yeah," she whispered seductively, lowering her lips to his, "and you ain't seen nothing yet, Texas."


End file.
